Under the Force
by hyndara71
Summary: Translation to the AU to 1.08 Game Ogre. What if Juliette had left the house instead of attacking Stark with the boiling water? Torture!Nick, again AU
1. Kidnapped

**Disclaimer:** Grimm is the property of NBC, Hazy Mills Production, CK Production and a lot of others. Nothing mine, only the idea.

**A/N:** 1) I was asked several times to translate this fic into English, so … I think now you have to deal with the result :P. As this is a translation and in my native language I'm using a lot of sayings I'm pretty sure I will have a lot of mistakes in this, so please forgive me my bad use of the English language. But I hope you will enjoy the story itself :).

2) This is an AU! I will mention this twice because there were some misunderstandings when I posted the original. AU means that it is possible that some things are a little different to what happened during the episode and it's also possible that someone would get wrong informations about what is or was going on. So, please wait until the story is complete before starting to complain about some things that are different to 1.08 :).

* * *

When Nick came back to life he first couldn't remember where he was. His sight was blurry and he needed some times before he realized that there was blood running over his face and also in his eyes. He blinked several times and his sight was cleared. He coughed and pulled a face when he noticed the pain in his body. Finally he figured out where he was:

Living room. He still was in the living-room. So far so good.

He coughed again and finally spit out a clot of blood. He rolled over to start to come back to his feet again. Not the best idea!

Every single bone in his body seemed to hurt and, truly, not only the bones. He couldn't move his left arm, the right one only painfully. His head was hurting and he had some problems with his breath. And he still felt dizzy.

Nick sat finally down and leaned himself against the couch.

He began to remember: Stark, jumping through the window and attacking him. He, Nick, unable to protect himself for the bigger and so much stronger man. His weapon which should lay somewhere under the demolished furniture. And … Juliette!

Nick lifted his head and blinked.

„Juliette!" He gasped and started again to come back on his feet. But he had to gave in finally, his legs felt like filled with pudding. He sank back to the ground, fighting a nausea. And than he heard footsteps.

No, this wasn't Juliette's light steps, Nick realized. This were hard and heavy footsteps from heavy boots and a tall and bold man.

Nick gulped.

Stark was still here. And when the giant, or whatever else he would be, was still here he, Nick, was still in danger. He needed a weapon to protect himself!

Nick opened his eyes again, searching something for getting this protection (or to hide somewhere). He looked over the debris of the furniture, the broken glass, the framed photos on the ground. And he finally saw Stark who broke the diamond cord from the draperies.

Nick gulped again, leaning forwards in hope, on one side still unable to walk away, so he could crawl somewhere he could hide from his enemy.

He had to do so! He had! ASAP! The best would be moving to the other side of the continent, millions of miles away from Stark and whatever he had in mind. It only was a question of time when Stark would finally realize WHAT Nick was. The Grimm had seen the other bodies Stark had left behind on this crusade of revenge and he felt no need to end up like one of the former victims.

But Nick never had a chance to get away from Stark. The big man was there, graping Nick's neck and threw him back to the couch.

Nick whimpered in pain and tried to resist but Stark didn't seem to notice this. He held the smaller young policeman down and trouched the back of Nick's jeans to find the handcuffs.

„Crap!" The young Grimm groaned, trying harder to break free.

But Stark still didn't take care about what Nick was trying to do. He gripped Nick's right arm, twisted it behind his back until Nick began to whimper and put one of the handcuffs around the wrist. One moment later the useless left arm was handcuffed too and Nick felt bitterness about his inability to avoid getting caught up.

Stark graped him again and dragged him to the opened door.

What Stark was planing for him Nick asked himself. What was going on here?

Stark dragged him out of the house. Nick was sure for a splitsecond he would begin to scream and fight like a berserk but … he let happen what happened in silence. He simply feared Stark would running mad when he alerted the neighbourhood.

Stark dragged him to a pickup Nick had never seen before and opened the front-passengers door. With force he pushed Nick into the pickup, but not on the seat but in the foot space. Stark used the diamond cord to tie up Nick's ancles and finally used one of Juliette's scarves to blindfold his captive before he closed the door and moved around to the driver's seat.

Nick tried to get his cell-phone after the door on his side of the car was closed. But … than he felt how the pickup tilted to one side when Stark came in. A moment later the engine started and Nick felt the movement of the car.

„What do you want from me?" he finally whispered.

„Shut up!" Stark ordered instead of an answer. „Keep quiet and you are safe … for the moment."

Nick bit his lip.

Juliette. Where she was?

He remembered her calling his name, he also remembered himself ordering her to run. But … what happened then?

There was something telling him that Juliette left the house immediatly just like he had told her to do. But his only memory was the sight on the downside of Stark's boots before this boot was colliding with his face and he was knocked out, didn't know for how long. He lost his conscious after the kick from Stark. Would explain why he woke up on the ground a few minutes ago.

But … where was Juliette? What happened to her? Did she make it? Or was she killed by Stark?

His cell-phone began to ring. Nick jumped when he heard it but then he tried to crawl as deep into the ground as possible.

The pickup stopped and Nick felt a hand graping his hair and jerking him out of his hideout. Stark's other hand touched him again until he'd found what he was looking for. Pulling the cell out of Nick's pocket the young Grimm lost his faith.

The ringing stopped, then the pickup began to move again. Nick gave up the hope …

* * *

Monroe put his cell aside and frowned.

This was weird. He believed Nick would come up to him for further details on the clock or at least to have a beer with him, sharing any developement on this mysterious murdercase he was working on. Instead … nothing. Not a call, not a visit, not even a thank you!

Not that Monroe expected too much from his unusual friend. But he'd learned some news this day and he felt the need to check on Nick before the Grimm would bump into the not so good part of the daily Wesen-news. That was why Monroe called Nick.

The call went through and for one moment the Blutbad seemed to hear someone breathing but than … the mailbox opened and Monroe interrupted the call.

Monroe began to think again about this not so good news he'd heard at the groceries: A Siegbarste had hit Portland and did some damage to another groceries and a drugstore near Beaverton. And, Monroe knew this for sure: an oger and a Grimm in one city – this couldn't end well! Especially with Nick's job as a cop.

Monroe looked at his cell unsure what to do now. But finally … finally his concerness won.

He stood up, took the keys and a jacket and moved out of his house to his good old VW Beetle to drive to Nick's residence.

To be true, Monroe had figured out where Nick usually stayed a while ago. He wanted to know that just to be on the safe side. Maybe it could be necessary at one point to know where Nick was living?

Now Monroe was driving as fast as his car was able to and finally he turned to the street where the house stood where Nick was living with his girl-friend.

Monroe's gutt began to hurt when he noticed all the blinking lights and men and women in uniform all around exactly that house he'd identified as Nick's residence.

He was too late!

Monroe stopped the car as close as he could and looked up to the entry of the house. From here he could see a damaged table and he noticed the front-door was only barely in it's place.

He opened the window and took a deep breath through his nose.

Yep, exactly what he thought. Siebarste odor along with the smell of Grimm. Damned!

„Would you please keep on driving, Mister?" a voice asked him and let him move his head to see a small asian policeman in uniform looking down at him. „I'm sorry but here's nothing for interest for you, sir", this asian cop told Monroe.

„What happened here?" the Blutbad asked.

„Wait a minute", another voice said and a moment later Hank Griffin, Nick's partner, leaned down to Monroe. „Mister Monroe! What are you doing here?" he asked.

„I uhm ..." Monroe looked again up to the house's entry to see a man with a very intense profile looking worried around. Then he himself moved his head, looking at Hank. „I have more informations about that watch. So I thought I better should bring those to Nick."

Hank looked at him closely with a face full of sorrow. Finally he nodded. „Well, I'm sure one of the officers will be thrilled to get those informations", he said.

„Will do", Monroe agreed and frowned again.

This was getting personal he noticed. He'd seen enough people getting something persoanl in his life, he himself counted to them. Hank Griffin was getting something really very personal now …

„What happened here?" Monroe finally asked again.

Hank pulled a face, but gave in: „Looks like the suspect was much faster than we. He attacked Nick in his house", he explained to Monroe. „Juliette Silverton, Nick's girl-friend could flee in the neighbourhood to inform us via phone. But … the suspect used this time to get Nick and drive off with him".

Monroe's heart jumped.

„Why someone should get Nick?" he asked.

„To get on me", Hank replied and moved away.

Monroe took another look up to the house.

If this suspect was the Siegbarste he could smell here, and if this Siegbarste took Nick then … this couldn't end well!


	2. The Call

**A/N:** At first my apologize. First RL kept me busy, later I wasn't in the right mood to translate. So I hope you will forgive me and enjoy the second chapter now :)

* * *

Early birds just began to sing when the pickup stopped. After they arrived the last crossroad Stark had pulled Nick out of the foot-space onto the seat. Well, after the first mile or so Nick knew why! This last street wasn't a fixated street at all – maybe not more than a path …  
Stark had stopped two times on his way. The second time he had filled the tank, that was clear. Nick still had the smell of gasoline in his nose. And the first time … the first time Nick couldn't remember because his face once more met Stark's fist before and he was knocked out during whatever the Wesen had done.  
"We are there", Stark said and pulled the scarf from Nick's eyes.  
Nick blinkened several times before his sight was clear. Looking outside he saw … trees. Moving his head to one side he spent a second look: more trees. Looking out of the window of the driver's seat Nick finally noticed a cabin, surrounded by … trees!  
The car's door opened and Stark pulled him outside after loosing the cord around Nick's heels. Again the Grimm was dragged by the bigger and heavier man to the cabin.  
"What do you want from me?" Nick asked again.  
"Shut up!" was again the answer.  
The path they are walking on was overgrown, the cabin itself looked abadoned. All windows were closed by wooden bars, moss were growing between the logs. The door was closed and blocked with a bar and a big padlock.  
Stark didn't seem to notice the barrier. He stopped close to the door and kicked it open that both, bar and padlock, loosened from the door and fell to the ground.  
"Move!" Stark ordered and dragged Nick into the dawn behind the now open door. The big Wesen jerked Nick to a corner and pushed him to the ground. "And now: don't move! Or you will regret it!" Stark ordered, moved around and placed a paperbag he'd carried with himself onto a table.  
Nick gulped and slipped into the corner, watching how Stark left the cabin.  
Could he risk to flee? Should he stay? What if Stark would catch him while he was trying to run?  
As hard as this decision was, Nick choosed to stay. Not only that Stark surely was at the pickup, which still was parked near the cabin. Nick had no clue where he was. They could be somewhere only five minutes from Portland but they also could be somewhere between Portland and Seattle. The only thing for sure was they were in the woods, outside the parks of Portland. And Nick only barely knew those woods. He would risk his life if he would run now, especially because he still was handcuffed and wounded.  
Stark had no reason to do any harm to him, Nick decided, ignoring the fact that he'd seen what he'd seen. He was sure Stark had only kidnapped him for an exchange: He, Nick, for Hank. That was the only reason he could imagine – as long as Stark didn't get WHAT he'd caught there.  
Stark came back just when Nick thought about him, a rope-roll over his shoulder and a petrol lamp in his hand. The lamp he lightened at the door before he entered the cabin.  
Now illuminated Nick could see the furniture: the table he'd noticed before, three chairs, a dresser and a bed. Nick himself sat near the fireplace which also seemed to work as cooking place.  
Stark entered the cabin placed the lamp on the table before he cut one end of the rope, putting the rest near the dresser.  
Again Nick was pulled to his feet and dragged to a chair where he had to sit down. Again Stark tied his heels together before he pulled Nick's cell phone out of his pocket.  
Stark looked at the phone, touched the screen here and there until he'd found what he was looking for.  
A bright light blinded Nick when Stark found the camera-options and took a photo from him. When Nick finally was able to see again Stark leaned above him, staring down at him.  
"And now, little cop, we will make a call. And you will tell extactly what I want you to say. Do you understand?" Stark ordered.  
Nick gulped and nodded, trying to hide his face in hope Stark won't recognize him as a Grimm. But the Wesen was busy with the cell-phone …

* * *

Hank was at the precinct again, waiting until he would get the results of the CSI. He still felt terrible remembering the house. He didn't want to imagine how Nick was doing now. He could only hope to see his partner again – alive and hopeful in good shape …  
Juliette was in the hospital, still in a shock. It was weird to see her, bewildered and so full of fear, when he'd tried to talk to her.  
Hank looked up, seeing the shade of the captain, wandering around in his office. Renard was still here, along with Wu and nearly the rest of the late-shift.  
Nick was a liked fellow at the precinct. With him vanished everybody wanted to help. Stark would never make it alive back to jail if he would kill Nick off, this was clear. Every single police-officer and detective at the 3rd precinct would do his or her best to let Stark pay for this. But for now … Nick was hopefully still alive and …  
Hank jumped when his cell-phone awoke with a loud signal. He pulled it out of his pocket staring at the screen. Four letters were blinking at the top of it: NICK.  
"What's up?" Wu asked. The small Asian cop seemed to noticed that something was wrong.  
Hank, unable to speak for a second, showed the screen to the officer.  
"Got it!" Wu moved and began to run, out of the office.  
Hank waited another second, gulping and with the growing hope that Nick was escaped. Then he touched the accept-button and held the phone to his ear.  
"Hey, partner, how's going?" He asked, his voice weak.  
"Hank?" Nick's voice, no doubt! And Nick sounded … angsty, fearful.  
"Yeah, man, it's me", Hank said, still hoping the impossible was possible.  
"Hank, you have to listen to me. You hear me?" Nick asked.  
"I hear you, partner. What's up? Where are you?" Hank said.  
A gasping breath was the only answer. "You owe Stark five years", Nick's voice told him. "He will give you five days. At the end of the fifth day … I will die."  
Hank's hand began to shiver. "Nick, where are you? How are you? Do you know ..."  
"Five days for five years, Hank."  
The call ended.  
Hank stared at the phone, trying to put together what he'd heard. When the cell phone again began to ring he jumped, staring at the screen. An incoming MMS the screen told him.  
Hank didn't want to look at the pic but … he accepted again and stared at the screen.  
Nick, sitting on a chair, his big eyes widened in fear, the pretty face full of blood and hematomae. It was clear as water from what.  
"Hank, what's up?" Captain Renard's voice brought him back to reality.  
Hank pushed his cell to the desk, trying to bring distance between the screen and himself.  
Renard took the phone and looked at the photo.  
"Nick's alive. That's good", the Captain said.  
"In five days he will be dead when we are not able to find him", Hank explained and closed his eyes …

* * *

Five days …  
Again he sat besides the fireplace, staring blank into the air in the direction Stark was doing whatever he did.  
Five days …  
It felt weird to know when the own life was ending, Nick decided. Weird and … regretful. He wanted to do so much in this life but now it would end in five days. And, there was this tiny little voice inside his head telling him that Stark would create this death everything but easy.  
Five days were a long time to die, a damned long time.  
Nick's heart began to hurt.  
He wanted to live! He'd never done something to deserve this, never in his life!  
Just like this would matter, this tiny little voice said to him.  
Yeah, he also never wanted to become a Grimm and now?  
Five days …  
Nick looked to the window near the table. There his cell phone was, useless because Stark pulled out the battery.  
Five days …  
Stark closed the door.  
Nick moved his head and watched at the Wesen.  
Stark had changed the bar and the padlock so it seemed. Now he put his tools together in one of the dresser's drawers.  
"I have to do something", Stark said to Nick, coming up to him.  
"I'm thirsty", Nick said. "Please ..."  
Stark stopped half the way to his prisoner and watched him. Then he nodded, turned around to the dresser and took one of the water-bottles he'd brought into the cabin right after the call.  
Again Nick was pulled to his feet and dragged to the chair. There Stark opened the bottle and helt it to his lips so he could drink.  
After that Stark grabbed Juliette's scarf and used it as gag on Nick before he finally bound the young man to the chair.  
"Keep quiet and it will be alright", Stark ordered before he left the cabin.  
Nick closed his eyes.  
Five days …


	3. On the Edge

Monroe had left his VWBeetle down the street, just to be sure. The last thing he wanted right now was a police car driving by, called by Nick's neighbours.

Seriously, Monroe didn't know what he was going to do. He didn't was this close friend to Nick. Yesterday's visit had showed this perfectly and still hurt the Blutbad deep on the buttom of his heart.

But … whatever this Baby-Grimm was doing, he didn't deserve to end under the brutal fists of a Siegbarste! And, Monroe didn't know why, but he somehow liked Nick …

The house was abadoned when he entered it climbing through the not longer existing window of the dining-room.

Shattered glass, broken furniture, framed photos in broken frames. This was the picture Monroe got when he looked around. The entire ground floor seemed to him like a hurrican hit the house last night.

Nice dining table, by the way, Monroe decided after taking a second look.

Monroe took a deep breath … and then he began to sniff.

Siegbarste, no meaning. And again Nick's very personal Grimm-smell.

Monroe sighed. How many times he had told the boy to use wolfbane? Right, Nick got that but … seriously! This Siegbarste seemed to have lost his sense of smell when he didn't know what he was attacking here!

Well, Siegbarste wasn't known as geniuses so … maybe he really didn't know what Nick was, but this wouldn't take him too long to find out – unfortunately.

"So, what am I looking for?" Monroe asked himself.

Good question …

He was looking for something leading him to Nick – and to the ogre, or to both. And he was looking for something he could protect Nick and, in the best case, he could kill the Siegbarste.

Monroe remembered while he was waiting for the police leaving Nick's residence. When he was a kid he met a Siegbarste who killed the father of his best friend. After this murder he had heard about something called "Siegbarste Gift", a little misleading because German name for a poison strong enough to kill an ogre.

To be true Monroe didn't know if Nick owned this or other stuff. But he was aware that the Grimm sometimes came up to him and actually had some sort of information but was unable to put the right pieces together – well, the problems of being new to the business.

Monroe spent nearly the entire night thinking about his new friend and this smattering and decided that Nick had a second place to come to. A place but not a person! Something where he found out some things about his urgent problem at the time, but sometimes not enough to put this information together. In that case Nick came to Monroe asking him.

If there was this place, if Nick had something like a secret Grimm-base then there was a chance that he also had something to kill a Siegbarste – or just fight a Siegbarste down or whatever. And Monroe, calling himself a friend, was able and willing to search this base to protect and save this unfriendly friend (just in case to teach Nick a lesson about friendship – besides some slide fantasies about taking revenge for the loss of his best buddy when he was 9 or so …).

Monroe also knew some rumours about Marie Kessler, Nick's dear aunt, and an old Airstream-trailer – or was that a Silverbullet?

Anyway, Nick himself had told Monroe about his childhooddays spending on the backseat of his aunt's car, travelling the country from east to west. And Nick had also told him about that at one point he simply was sick of this unstable situation and left his beloved aunt by the first chance he had.

Still it was funny how much to learn about a Nick Burkhardt only by putting a bottle of beer into his hand. While drinking Nick always becomes a sort of sentimental storyteller telling everything about his past, how he lost his parents, growing up with his aunt, how he finally became a police-man and how he ended up as a detective in Portland …

On a dresser, which wasn't broken at all!, Monroe found Nick's badge and his keyring.

Poor guy!

Monroe sighed and wanted to turn around, when he noticed something and took a second look.

The keys … there was something weird about the number of keys.

Okay, Nick wasn't that close buddy to Monroe that they both had changed keys – or just mentioned that, but only the number of keys was a little too much thinking about his own keys.

Monroe took the keys and counted:

Car, house, two security-keys (surely for Nick's desk at the precinct). But there was an old key, really old and used with a sign on it.

Monroe pulled his glasses out of the pocket and took a second look.

There was the logo of a company for camping-trailers. Really old, sort of rare. Definetely not that sort of key he had in mind thinking about Nick.

And there was another key which looked sort of familiar. The key to a padlock.

Monroe remembered. Years ago, when he still was in the relationship with Angelina, he used one of the trailer-parks in and around Portland as a stock for things he didn't need at that time but didn't want to lose. During that time he had a key like this one, for the chain at the gate.

But … what if Nick simply was an outdoor-fan enjoying his vacations inside a trailer somewhere on the road? Well, Nick didn't seem too thrilled about traveling, not after the time on the backseat in his aunt's car.

Was this the key to Nick's secret Grimm-base?

Monroe looked at the keys in his hand, then he noticed something and looked down at the remnants of a table. And at the edge of his table there was something, smelling and looking like …

Monroe's eyes morphed to red, a growl came out of the dephts of his throat.

This was blood! Nick's blood.

This Siegbarste had wounded his friend! And friends – that was another sort of family for Monroe. And family was sacred …

* * *

Nick startled when he heard the metallic sound of the padlock opened.

However he finally was fallen asleep while he was alone he noticed. But he was sure he would need every tiny part of his own strength for the next days so every minute rest would help him.

Nick turned his head when he heard how the door was opened. Sunlight broke the darkness of the cabin and let him blink again.

Starks heavy footsteps entered the inside. He came up to the table putting a paperbag on the desk. A familiar smell hit Nick's nose. Seemed like the Wesen had stopped by a drive-in. The question was only for himself or would he share his meal with this captive …

Stark left the cabin again.

Nick looked thoughtful at the paperbag. Sometime between Stark's leaving him alone and his unplanned nap Nick had heard footsteps and voices from outside. True, those voices he'd heard weren't near the cabin but Stark had brought him somewhere where also people were living. This gave Nick a little hope …

Stark came back, this time carrying a big box he placed near the dresser before he closed the door and came up to Nick to lose him. Nick's left arm dangled at his side after the handcuffs were opened. Stark noticed this injury now. Grabbing the dislocated arm with one hand he held Nick down on the chair with the other one. Then he pulled the injured arm and with a nasty „Plopp" the bone returned into the joint while Nick was yelling out his pain, helding the left shoulder with his right hand.

"Eat!" Stark finally ordered sitting down on one of the two other chairs by the table.

Nick still held his arm and and sat down on the other chair, looking how Stark pulled some fries and burgers out of the paperbag. "I'm not hungry", he said.

Stark looked at him, a silent warning in his eyes. "Eat! Now!" He ordered again.

Nick gulped and took one single frie. Chewing on it didn't help against the pain and he even didn't tasted it.

This should be a funny picture Nick decided. He and his abducter/future-killer together eating some junk foot. Just like good buddies …

While he was still chewing on his frie he tried to move his left arm and was surprised to see it working again. True, it still hurt like hell but there didn't seem to be a constant damage.

Stark ate with some appetite Nick noticed.

Nick felt a tiny little hope growing. When there were people outside the cabin maybe these people would recognize what was going on here.

Stark leaned back when he was done with his meal looking not too amused on the other half of the table where Nick's meal still wasn't really touched.

"Gimme the cell" Stark ordered finally, grabbing in his pocket to pull out the battery.

Nick did what he was told to be. Stark put the battery back into the cell-phone, activating it he moved it back to Nick.

"Type in the PIN!"

Nick took the cell-phone but hesitated. There was the emergency button – and this damned emergency buttom seemed more tempting with every breath he took …

"Type in the PIN!" Stark ordered again.

And Nick did, putting his cell on the desk after he'd activated it.

He was a coward, he told himself. A damned coward.

Stark took the cell and again, opened the camera-menu. Again Nick was blinded by the falsh when Stark took a photo of him, still calling himself by names in hope to find the nerves to fight the Wesen. But he didn't.

Stark was too strong for him without a weapon. And with weapon … well, he didn't had the chance to shot before his pistol was taken from him when Stark attacked him at home.

Now the whatever stood up, gripped Nick by his right arm and dragged the Grimm to stand up himself. Again he handcuffed his captive before he led him to the middle of the cabin, ordering him to stay before he again took the rope from the dresser.

Nick watched what Stark did without really getting what was going on. He looked how the Wesen threw the rope around a beam, fixing one end on the dresser before he came again to Nick to fix the other end with the chain between the handcuffs. It was ways too late before the Grimm got WHAT Stark was doing to him. Stark pulled the other end of rope and lifted his captive on this way up until Nick barely could reach the ground with his toes.

"Stark, believe me. It's not clever to kill me", Nick said. "Every single cop in Oregon will be after you when you do this. There IS another way!"

The only answer he got was again a hit in his stomach. And he didn't get any time before Stark hit him again.

This is the way of dieing in five days, Nick thought. Not the best way to die …

* * *

Hank just arrived at home when his cell-phone rang again. And again Nick's name was blinking on the screen when he pulled it out of his pocket.

Hank hesitated but still he had hope that his partner could manage somehow to flee. So he accepted the call in hope to hear some good news.

"Hank?" He barely recognized the voice as Nick's.

"Hey partner!" Hank answered. "Nick, are you alright?"

"Let it end, Hank! Please, bring it to an end!" Nick begged in his ear. "I cannot stand it. Not this long ..."

!Nick, we are doing everything we can! Please, you have to trust us and ..."

The call ended and Hank starred down on the screen.

Nick didn't sound too good. More like panicking and full of pain. His voice sounded croaky and full of fear.

Whatever Stark was doing to his partner …

In this moment there was another call – again a MMS, again Nick's number.

Hank again hesitated but accepted it. Only to jump back. The cellphone fell out of his hand to the ground, showing another photo of Nick, all bloody and swollen, much more than on the last picture Hank received yesterday.

!My dear God! Nick!" Hank screamed – and felt bitternis …

* * *

Again he was laying next to the fireplace, wirsts and ankles tied up and feeling helpless and sour. He laid there, coiled up and full of fear and pain what the morning would bring while Stark slept on the bed.

Another torture, this was clear. And the longer Nick was here the more his fear was growing.

What had he done to deserve this? Why Stark was torturing him? He never had heard Stark's name before the judge was killed.

And still there was the possibility that Stark would finally find out what Nick was. Then, Nick knew for sure, his death would turn out as much more painful as Stark had already planned for now.

What could he do? How he could save his own life?

Nick didn't know.

A noise led him back to reality and let him lift his head.

There was something, someone outside the cabin, he was sure. There were some small knocks, one-two-three times in a row before it paused. Then again, three knocks and silence.

"Hello?" Nick asked into the darkness.

And the knocking stopped …


	4. On the right way

"Hi!"

Hank stopped at the door looking into the room. The bunch of flowers he'd brought with him, he held like a protective shield.

Juliette Silverton moved her head slowly. Her eyes looked tired, maybe because of the drugs in her system?, and were swolen and blurry with tears. But somehow she managed to put a pale smile on her lips. "Hi yourself", she answered.

Hank stepped into the room slowly. "How're you?" he asked.

Juliette rubbed her eyes with one hand before she started to nod. "It's getting better", she answered. "It's only … Hank, no one will tell me about Nick!"

"He's alive", Hank answered putting the flowers aside. "That's unfortunately all we know."

"Is he here?" In Juliette's eyes a little light began to flicker. "How is he? He didn't look too well. He was laying there beside the couch ..."

Hank sighed and touched her hand with his. "We haven't found him yet."

Juliette stared at him. "What do you mean? Nick was laying beside the couch. On the ground in the living-room!" Her voice began to tip over.

Hank nodded.

Yeah, it was easy to follow Nick's path through the ground floor of the house. The forensics have found some drops of blood – and this blood became more and more during the fight with Stark. Only near the broken table in the living-room they had found a little puddle of blood – Nick's blood again. So it was clear he was there for a while before Stark took him away.

"This intruder … he kidnapped Nick", Hank ended.

Juliette stared at him. And suddenly there was another light in her eyes, a harder, not flickering light. "You know who did it?" she said. It should sound like a question but it sounded more like a statement.

Hank hesitated but finally he gave in and nodded again. "Juliette, I'm sorry ..."

She couldn't understand. It was clear visible on her face. The face that was getting harder with every breath she took.

Hank sighed again and looked aside. "Stark is a killer", he answered. "Five years ago I arrested him. Two days ago he escaped from Pelican Bay and came back to Portland. First he killed the judge who put him into prison, then the DA and … And finally he came into your house and … well, you'd seen what happend."

Juliette frowned. "Five years ago Nick wasn't in Portland", she said, now also her voice hard and cold as ice. "Five years ago he still was in another state. I'm sure he'd never met this killer before!"

"But me", Hank answered. "Stark kidnapped Nick to get to me, Juliette."

Juliette's face, pale, went paler. Her eyes were like dark carbon. "Which means?" she asked with a whispering voice.

"Stark wants revenge, he wanted me", Hank explained. "But the captain put me into costudy yesterday. So he went after Nick ..."

Juliette began to shook her head. "No!" She said hard. "NO!"

Hank couldn't stand her eyes anymore and looked aside. "I'm so sorry, Juliette!" he said, trying to explain the not-explainable to her. "Look, Stark had forced Nick to call me two times now. And ..." He closed his mouth, gulping and took a deep breath before he started again: "Juliette, I want you to know that I will do everything to get Nick back to you. As healthy as I can!"

"Why?" Juliette asked. "Why this guy should do something to Nick? They don't know each other!"

"To get on me!" Hank repeated full of sorrow. "He wants revenge and after he didn't get on me he decided to get my partner instead of me."

"Then … why you cannot do something? Why you cannot triangulate Nick's phone or something like that? Why you don't offer an exchange when this guy wants you?" Juliette's voice lost all her emotions. It felt like a bath in icewater for Hank. And with every word she said it was like she would whip him – or he would whip himself …

"We cannot triangulate because it looks like the cell-phone is deactivated except when Nick makes these calls", Hank explained but felt that he had lost this fight. Not with Juliette, who was much tougher than he'd thought, but with himself.

Tears were running down Juliette's face but she didn't seem to recognize them. She still stared at him with this pale face, this dark eyes.

"Why don't you offer an exchange?" she finally asked. "You know Nick would go through hell for you, don't you? Would you do the same for him?"

"I'm sorry, Juliette ..." Hank said again.

If he would go to hell and back? Sure he would! Hank liked his younger partner. Nick was not a complicated guy – or he wasn't before he started this weird friendship with this clockmaker a while ago. Heck, Nick was one of the best partners Hank ever had! To stand aside now, only able to wait until the next call was ways too much for him.

"You don't!"

Hank felt like Juliette had hit him straight in the face with these words.

"I swear to you ..." He stopped, unable to stand her in her anger.

Whatever would happen, Stark would pay for what he'd done. Not only to Nick, also to Juliette. To everyone. Nick would be Stark's last victim, this Hank had swear to God. When Stark would kill Nick this would be the last life he'd taken. Whatever it would take Hank would give to let Stark pay for this!

If Nick would survive, if they would find him alive it would also take a lot of time until Nick would be able to live his life again. Not so much a possible physical damage, there also was the mental part of it. Only the call last night, Nick begging to let it end … Hank's heart still was broken.

A partner, that was a kind of family. Nick had to learn this but so far he did a great job as being a partner. For Hank this was usual. But he really liked Nick and felt sometimes like the older brother or something. This feelings had made him come here, tell Juliette what he knew, trying to calm himself and his conscious down. But it didn't work!

"Juliette, seriously ..."

She looked at him and began to shook her head. Very slowly, very serious, very angry.

Hank got it. He'd betrayed the family. He was the one who was the reason for the current situation. He should have watched after Nick, taking all it needed to protect his partner. Instead Nick was a hostage now, could get killed off in a couple of days.

"You don't!"

Hank stepped back from the bed.

"I'm so sorry, Juliette!"

But she only shook her head …

* * *

Monroe stopped at the entrance and pulled himself out of his VWBeetle.

He'd spent nearly the entire day now searching … whatever he was after. He'd tried every trailer-park he'd known – along with the two new ones. But Nick's keys didn't let him in, nowhere!

This was the last chance Monroe had. When he would fail again he would give his other idea a try: sniffing the Siegbarste and his hostage out. As long as the weather was like this, cloudy but without rain, he had a chance to find the lead. Whatever he should do when he'd find them …

But now he had this very last chance and he really didn't want to go after a Siegbarste without anything but his bare teeth and claws. And that wouldn't be enough Monroe was sure.

So he walked to the front-gate, closed with a big padlock and pulled Nick's keys out of the pocket.

He spent another look into the park:

boats, trucks, trailers, two or three cargo-containers. But there was no old trailer, especially not silver, visible. Nothing.

Was he wrong?

Monroe looked again through the fence.

Wait a minute … wasn't that something silvery? There, between one truck without licence-plats and a boat?

Monroe looked at the keys.

There were three keys he was still thinking they could lead him to Nick's secret GrimmBase. One was the key to the trailer itself, the other two ones … he had to try!

Monroe grabbed the big padlock which closed the door and tried to put the first key into the lock.

Nope, no way!

Monroe was getting nervous.

Could it be that he was wrong? Why on earth anybody should put an old trailer like an airstream into an open space? Especially when this trailer could relate to a Grimm … ?

That was the point: Nick, BabyGrimm without experiences, didn't have said experiences. He simply didn't know with what he was dealing here. And without Marie Kessler on his side teaching him the right way to be a Grimm Nick never had the chance to become what he was – well, not to get the bad aspects of this „being a Grimm". What could turn out as a good thing on the other hand, Monroe continued, because Nick gave every Wesen a chance instead of cutting off heads by sight or something.

Wasn't this the reason for Monroe to try to befriend this so unusual Grimm? Because he felt with Nick. Lord! Only remembering this BabyGrimm on his porch running into him and yelling at him … it was some kind of cute to remember that scene.

Monroe searched the second key.

But IF he would find this imagined trailer and he would find inside this trailer said poison. What he was supposed to do? Monroe doubt that being kind and friendly asking the Siegbarste to drink this poison would help him out with the question how to put said poison INTO the Siegbarste.

Well, at least he was dealing here with Grimm-stuff. Grimm-stuff could mean that there was more than Nick's usual 9-MM. Grimm were after Siegbarste for some millenias now so it was more than possible that Grimm had found a way to put the poison they'd found to kill a Siegbarste inside named Siegbarste.

Monroe tried the second key and … it slid into the lock without problem.

Monroe's heart stopped for a second – before it started a wild dance.

He was on the right way!


	5. Relationships

Stark grabbed him again and dragged him to the chair before he opened the handcuffs.

Nick rubbed his bloody wrists but held his head down – just to be on the safe side …

He tried not to protect himself so Stark probably wouldn't recognize him and hit him harder. But the pure power his kidnapper was using on him made those wounds. Besides that Nick wasn't sure if he probably moved during his wild running nighmares last night.

He wasn't too well anymore. His stomach was hurting like hell, especially after all the hits he got yesterday. But Stark didn't seem too concered about his condition.

"Eat!" Stark ordered and moved a dish full of baked beans in Nick's direction.

Nick pressed his lips together and closed the one still working eye to fight with himself. When he opened the eye again there was a slide of old bread on the beans and a bottle of water stood beside the dish. He should try to drink something Nick decided and took the bottle.

Stark sat down on the other side of the table. His dish was filled with much more beans as Nick's but the Grimm wasn't too sad about this. Not in his current condition.

Finally he managed to open the bottle and sipped a little water. One moment later the pain in his stomach seemed to explode and made Nick arch.

"Eat!" Stark ordered a second time.

"I can't", Nick whispered. "Sorry."

Stark now looked at him, shrugged and took Nick's dish.

Nick himself put the bottle back on the table.

Four days until he would die …

Nick had no doubt that he would be dead at the end of the fourth day. As long as he had to deal with Oleg Stark there would be no other way, this he had to learn the hard way. Monroe could mention that he, Nick, had become stronger since they met, this strength definetely wasn't enough to stand Stark's power. For now Nick wishes he had paid more attention to that Grimm journal he had in his hands the evening before Stark crashed through the window. Maybe he had found something that could help him right now.

While he had cooked the beans Stark had also put some tools aside. Nick wasn't sure if those tools were meant for use on him or the cabin. To be true, he didn't want to learn but he had the impression that he simply had to. Nick only wished himself as far away from this cabin as possible, resued by his coworkers at the precinct or escaping on his own – but unfortunately he didn't really see any of these oppotunities really happen to him.

Nick had heard storys about other cops in nearly the same situation that he was, as a captive, sometimes tortured, sometimes only held back. Mostly these storys ended with a Happily Ever – well, for the most of them. But the most of them surely haven't to deal with a … whatever Stark was!

Darn, he hadn't had trouble with Stark! He wasn't in the same state when the Wesen was caught and put to jail! Why the heck Stark wished so hard to put him into his own grave?

"What do you want from me?" Nick asked finally. He looked up, Stark straight in the eyes hoping he could play the "tough guy"-card right now – and that Stark would buy this. "We never met before, and there's no death-threat against me as far as I know. Besdes that i don't think you have a client right now. So, why me?"

Stark ate his beans and looked at him with some interest. "You are Griffin's partner", he finally answered and leaned back on his chair.

Nick's funktional eye widened. "That's all? Really? If Hank would have another cop as partner you would act the same?"

Stark shrugged. "Possible", he said, frowning. "Griffin and those others, they'd set me up!"

Nick blinkened. "Set you up? How?"

"Don't play tricks on me, little cop!" Stark said in a low voice as a warning.

Nick sighed. "Your case was in a time where I wasn't in Portland yet", he stated. "I'm not playing tricks, I really don't know! I moved over here three years ago, I wasn't around during your time!"

Stark eyed him. "You are Griffin's partner", he repeated. "Don't you cops talk with each other?"

Nick licked his lips. It was hard for him in his current condition to manage a longer conversation. On the other hand this could worth a try. If he would find a way Stark would talk to him and also listen, he could built a slide relationship and hopeful Stark wouldn't continue to beat the hell out of him.

"I didn't know about you or your case", he said. "Believe it or not. I came here all on my own and simply had other problems to solve then to look over Hank's old cases."

Stark pushed the dishes aside and leaned over the table, his chin on one of this big hands, the elbow on the table. "Where are you from, little cop? You don't have a clear accent", he asked with some interest.

It worked!

Nick tried a small smile. "I was born in Rhinebeck New York and lived there for about twelve years", he answered. "But true, after my parents died in a car crash my aunt raised me and she moved a lot from state to state. Maybe that's why I don't have an accent anymore, don't know. Before I moved to Portland I lived some time in California."

Stark's eyes drifted away and seemed dreamy. "I was in Pelican Bay. Nice place by the way. The start was a little difficult, but after a little while it was a really nice place ..."

It really worked! Nick couldn't get it. His little distraction from Stark's plan was getting into growing a relationship between them both. And maybe he could talk Stark into stopping the torture now – if he would act careful!

"Griffin really never told you about me?" Stark asked.

Nick bit his lip to prepare himself for the pain and shook his head. "I'm sorry but … never."

Stark frowned again. "Griffin, the judge and the DA, they all worked together. They cheated on me! That's why I left Pelican Bay."

Really? And he didn't put into account the trials to murder him? Nick was surprised.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Do you really want to know?" Stark looked at him again.

Nick nodded again, hoping not to let his head explode with too much movement.

"The judge and the DA, they had a deal", Stark began to explain. "There also was a robbery at a Diner the same night I killed that traitor and his family. The DA said afterwards this would be me too. Lairs! Damned lairs!"

Nick frowned. "Wait a minute", he said. "Do you tell me Hank and the others had also judged you for something you never did?"

Stark began to nod. "I didn't get that first", he explained, "but my attourney explained that to me when we met the last time. He wanted a revision but unfortunately he died before any decision was made. Griffin, the judge and Robinson, they all worked togehter. Heck, they stated the real criminal as a witness and let him come free! But that guy had paid his price too, you can believe me!"

Nick couldn't believe what Stark told him.

Hank should have manipulated a case to put this Wesen into jail, and the DA and the judge had worked together with him?

But … it could be he had to admit. This wasn't the first not complete clear case he'd seen during his duty as a cop. But he always thought about Hank as absolutely integer, so this news was a shock for him.

Nick didn't know how to react. Probably he could use this growing relationship to manipulate Stark but … if Stark was right he didn't know how to deal with this. If Hank had really played a trick on Stark Nick wasn't able to ignore the justice and where this justice should lay in this case.

"Let me talk to Hank", Nick decided. "If you are right and you were cheated I'm sure Hank didn't know. And when you are right and there was a kind of deal between the DA and the judge there's a lot of research to do before your case will be retransfered to the court. I could do these researches for you! So, please, let me go and I will do everything I can to help you!"

Stark began to laugh. "I should set you free? You? Griffin's partner? No way!"

"But … I could help you!" Nick said again.

Stark's laughing stopped but there still was a cold grin on his lips. "Oh, little cop, you ARE helping me, believe me", he said.

Nick's heart stopped for a second when Stark get up.

Why? Why him? Why Stark couldn't let him loose and do his work? Why this slow kill? Why all the pain?

Everything inside Nick was screaming when Stark was on his side, grabbing him again and dragging him back to the rope, still hanging from that bar in the ceiling of the cabin …

* * *

Monroe parked his car when he saw an Airstream between two boats, standing there on the other end of the trailer-park.

Was this THE Aristream? Or was it only a coincedence that here was a trailer like the so often mentioned when the storys of Marie Kessler were told?

Monroe opened the window and took a deep breath … Grimm-odor, no meaning! And not only this odor, it was Nick's very special smell. Not really fresh anymore, mixed with the smell of gasoline and oil, but it was definetely Nick.

Monroe opened the door and pulled himself out of his VWBeetle.

"So, what now?" he asked himself.

Now he could try the last key on Nick's ring and find out if he was right. Or he could move back home ignoring what had happened to the new Grimm in town.

Well, he ignored the second possibility and walked to the trailer.

The more he came closer, the more Monroe was paying attantion to everything in case there was a trap. But there wasn't, so he stepped straight to the door and hesitated again.

What if the lock would explode the second he would try the key? Or a gun behind the door would shot or a sword or axe would came out of a hide to cut off his head? There were so many possibilities!

Nick was in trouble, that was all he had to know!

Monroe put the keyring out of his pocket, searching the last unused one. Finally he put the one into the lock and his breath stopped a second time when he moved the key.

The door was unlocked! And Monroe still had his head on his shoulders.

The Blutbad opened the door carefully, again searching any kind of possible trap, and again … there was nothing!

Nick was a naive Baby-Grimm! Monroe decided when he finally climbed the first step. He was ways too naive!

Monroe did one last step and entered the trailer, only to stop and stare with big eyes.

This was … amazing! Stunning! Awesome!

He haven't found the real word for what this was. He only looked around with big eyes, not really knowing what he was supposed to do the next.

Monroe turned around, ready to close the door behind himself. His eyes went up to the sky and he told the cloud he had in mind as residence of his passed away father: „Dad, I swear to God I do the right thing!"

He closed the door a splitsecond after these words, just to be on the safe side.

Again Monroe started to look around with wide eyes and opened mouth and couldn't believe WHERE he was. All this stuff, the books, the bottles, those artifacts … this simply was awesome!

He noticed an opened journal laying on a table in the middle of the trailer and walked to it.

"Siegbarste" the opened side was titled, underneath there was a horrible looking portrait of a … well, Siegbarste.

So, Nick had had an idea before he was kidnapped. That was good!

Monroe found a file beside the opened journal and began to read those: a medical report of a person called Oleg Stark.

Monroe frowned. Wait a minute … Stark? Wasn't that the name of the Siegbarste who'd killed the Dad of his friend back in childhood-days?

Coincedence, he decided and read the file:

A dead in the nerves, fixed and dense bones, inability to feel pain – definetely Siegbarste!

"Good God, what you were going to do here, Nick?" Monroe asked the thin air, putting the file aside. Then he noticed another book underneath the opened journal and pulled it out carefully. A brandnew notebook he finally held in his hands. And when he opened it his heart began to bleed:

Nick's handwriting was filling the first sides of this small book. And there were … drawings! Wonderful drawings Monroe fell in love with the moment he saw them.

And finally Monroe got what he held in his hands here: Nick's very own Grimm-journal. And, besides these wonderful drawings this journal only had one other favourite aspect: it's emptiness!

Monroe felt the bitter need to help this Baby-Grimm out of the trouble. But … how?

This let his mind recall his thought about coming here in the first place. This was the secret Grimm-base so there was a chance to find something that could help him fight the Siegbarste who had kidnapped his unusual friend.

Monroe put Nick's journal aside and began to read the entry made by one ancient Grimm about Siegbarste. And … he was right about the poison. There was something called "Siegbarste Gift" - man! This could be really trouble at christmas!

Monroe began to smile and looked up, half awaiting to see Nick sitting on that empty chair on the other side of the table so he could tell him about his nose again … But Monroe's smile died when he found himself still all on his own.

Poor guy!

Monroe reminded himself again. He wanted to help his friend, anyway if Nick had hurt him before or not.

The memory of that scene in the paper-mill again overwhelmed him. Nick reading the envelope and smiling at him after his "Good boy!" statement.

This was the way Monroe wanted to keep his friend in mind. My, he couldn't count how often he had sweared about this BabyGrimm since Nick jumped at him when that girl was missed. Monroe had never expected to befriend a Grimm but Nick's very own charme (along with his stubborness) made it hard to stand him. So, somewhere on their road between their first unexpected meeting till this moment Monroe all on his own inside of Nick's secret base, Monroe began to think as a friend of this new Grimm in town. And, until that morning two days before, he thought Nick would feel the same way.

Man! Monroe couldn't name how deep it hurt him when Nick negotiated to be ever in his kitchen before – how many nights they both have spend there, drinking Monroe's import-beer and talking and guessing and … Nick using him as his Grimm-o-Pedia.

Maybe someday the Grimm would decide to make him a full part of his life, Monroe thought. One day but not now. Now it was his friend who needed help, who probably would be killed if he wouldn't help him.

Would Nick do the same for him?

About this Monroe was sure, Nick would – without hesitating. They are both on the same mind about this, and that was the point why their friendship was working, ignoring the fact that they had nothing else in common.

Another scene came to Monroe's mind: that evening he jumped through his own window after he'd noticed Nick was watching him. He remembered Nick's reaction when he told them about the fairytale-books. Nick, all panicking out, from one second to the other on the edge.

Monroe looked around and now he got about WHAT books Nick thought he was talking about that night. And, man, Nick was true about being upset! So true …

Monroe reminded himself another time. He wasn't here to get lost in his memories. He was here to find something usefull so he could help his friend.

But this trailer simply was …

"The total freakshow!" Monroe mentioned and stood up, facing the closet on the other side of the table.

What he would find there when he opened the doors? More of those Grimm-journals? Nick's secret Grimm-costume? His laboratory?

Anyway, maybe he would find there named Siegbarste Gift Monroe decided, walking around the table and putting his hands on the doorknobs he finally opened the closet and … his eyes widened again.

Weapons! Lots of weapons!

Monroe stared with his mouth wide open.

Swords, bows, an axe, a hammer, a nasty looking bat and a … trunk?

Monroe frowned and pulled this trunk out of the closet.

What the heck … ?

He put the trunk on that sultan's bed and opened it to stare at the biggest rifle he'd seen in his entire life! Only the barel was longer than Monroe's arm.

He'd noticed something on the butt of the rifle and put it out of the trunk. There was an engravement, showing a man (probably a Grimm) shooting a Siegbarste.

Wait a minute … there were Siegbarste-rifles? Seriously? He'd never heard about those before!

Anyway, he reminded himself. A rifle this size would be able to wound a Siegbarste, and that was enough to poison him.

This led him back to his original problem: Siegbarste Gift.

Monroe moved around and looked at the cabinet beside the door. There were different bottles filled with something with mostly not so nice color …

Monroe stepped closer and searched the bottles – and he hadn't had to search too long. The second bottle on that rondel, that one with that nastly orange filled liquid had a handwritten label with the two words: Siegbarste Gift!

Monroe was happy!


	6. Torture

**This is a reminder! Don't read if you cannot stand torture! This chapter has mature-content!**

* * *

Pain exploded in his hand and made Nick scream. Unfortunately this scream didn't last long enough to really tell about the pain. He simply didn't had enough air in his lungs.

Stark went away again.

Nick kept his eye closed and tried to pretend not to be here. Instead he wished himself back home, on Juliette's side …

Nick heard Stark rummaging in his box and only hoped this time the search would lead to something usefuller.

Did he really believed it wouldn't get worster than beating the hell out of him? How stupid and naive he was sometimes!

What Stark was doing now to him was real torture. So real that Nick wished the beating and hitting and kicking back. Three of his fingers were broken now, the two others didn't have fingernails anymore. His hand was bleeding, he could feel it.

If all of this would make any sense to him, maybe he could accept it, Nick thought. But only to die this slow and painfull death because Stark wanted his revenge but wasn't able to to get on Hank wasn't enough for Nick. Not after what Stark had done to his other victims since he hit Portland.

Nick opened his heal eye when he heard Stark coming back. This time his keeper had a hammer in one of his big hands. And this hammer looked so small and innocent in this big hand …

Nick bit his lipe when Stark stopped behind him. Again he was more hanging from the ceiling than with his feet on the ground. Still he was helpless, his injured shoulder hurt again, now combined with the pain in his hand …

Nick felt a tear running out of his eye. Still he wished so hard that something was going to happen, that he would pass out or this whole scenery would turn out as the worst nightmare ever …

Stark shoved the sleeve of his hoodie down to his elbow.

Nick tried to prepare himself for the new pain which would hit him. Stark had a plan for him, this was clear as water. And with this plan Stark wanted to torture every single part of his body.

In the next second Nick opened his not injured eye again and began to scream when another pain ran through his ulna.

Stark didn't use the hammer to break his arm, Nick noticed after again he had to fight to keep on breathing. No, Stark used the hammer to hammer a nail through his ulna!

Nick whimpered and gasped and wished much harder to pass out to make this pain go away.

But Stark was good in making the pain harder and harder but not hard enough to let him lose his councious.

"You are tough, little cop", Stark told him. Just like he had read his mind. "I don't know much who were able to stand my torture. But you are a special challenge."

Should he take this as a compliment or as a threat? Nick wasn't sure and in the next minute …

This time it hit the radius – but that didn't make it easier to stand the pain.

Nick's scream was throaty and ways too short for what he felt. Again he felt like he would passed out and again the pain held him awake.

What was Stark going to do next to him? Nick was sure, this wasn't the end – and this surely wasn't the worst pain he was able to feel. Stark was able to do much more to him …

When he felt the top of a third nail at his skin everything inside him was screaming and begging for mercy. Nick again tried to prepare himself against what would hit him in the next moment. Again he closed his eye, again he bit his lips, his healthy right hand balled into a fist to stand the pain. But …

Instead of hammering the third nail into the flesh and bones of his captive Stark grabbed Nick and put one of his big hands on Nick's mouth.

"One noise and you will loose your tongue!" Stark whispered in his ear.

Nick tried to nod, while he also fought the shivering.

What happened? Why … ?

Next moment Nick heard it. The voices! They were back again! Someone was outside of the cabin!

His heart missed a beat.

There were people outside the cabin. That could mean help! That could mean, Hank and Wu had managed to find him somehow! That could mean to be save in a couple of minutes.

The head of the hammer touched the skin near his temple.

Nick's hope died slowly when he noticed that the voices were moving – and that they also didn't sound familiar.

"Keep quiet! Do you understand?" Stark whispered in his ear.

Nick nodded again, or tried to. Stark's grip was ways to hard and pressed him against the body of the Wesen.

He listened, trying to find out what was going on outside the cabin. Two voices, definetely! But … they sounded ways too young. These people outside … maybe they were not more than teens. And that wasn't the help he was looking for.

Nick felt his desperation returning. He wouldn't scream. Not with two or maybe three kids outside in danger the second he would open his mouth. It wasn't necessary for Stark to still held him, not with those younsters outside.

Stark began to moan something Nick couldn't understand. But something else let his heart again miss a beat: Stark also began to sniffle.

Oh dear God, not now! Not here! Not as long as he was tied up and already tortured and injured!

Nick never was very faithful but now he sent a little and desperate prayer to a hopeful God to stop Stark from recognizing him.

"Move on, guys!" The Wesen whispered. "We are busy, right, little cop?"

The voices still were moving, and they slowly faded away. Still too fast for Nick's taste but very slowly for Stark.

Nick had to fight with his own self-control. Every single nerve and muscle inside his body was screaming, wanting help desperately. But Nick himself knew the truth: there was no help on its way. There simply couldn't! He wasn't able to tell Hank where he was, Hank himself wasn't able to triangulate his cellphone as long as the battery was outside. And Nick wasn't sure if, if he would find a way to loose the ties, he would be able to flee. Not after the last days.

And finally … they voices faded away completely.

"You are a brave little cop, you know?" Stark told him again. "It's really a challenge to work on you."

The break was over …

* * *

Again Hank was looking at the reports searching for something he'd missed so far. Something that would lead him to Nick and Stark. Something that would help his partner.

But there simply wasn't anything. He knew the reports from the inside out and nothing changed this.

The whole precinct was still searching the missing colleague, but the longer Nick was the captive of Stark, the more the enthusiasm calmed down.

No one wanted to be responsible for a possible failure, no one wanted to tell Juliette they missed to rescue Nick. No one wanted to loose Nick …

Hank also fought with himself and the latest memories:

Juliette in the hospital, her look when she repeated this one sentence, over and over again. Nick's throaty voice, full of fear, begging for mercy. The last photo …

Hank felt really bad.

Wu came over at his desk, looking down at him. "Hey", he said, "Nick and you, you two met this guy, this clockmaker, right?"

Hank looked to the other entry to the office, noticing who was standing there, jumping nervous from one foot to the other.

"What the heck he's doing here?" he asked.

§He said to me, perhaps he had some informations", answered Wu, "but he only wants to talk to you, no one else."

Hank frowned and began to think.

Monroe and Nick seemed to have a very special relationship. He didn't know why or when this happened. But short time after Monroe was a suspect when that little girl Robin was missing Nick began to mention that guy from time to time, more often the more time flew by.

But … what informations Monroe could have?

"Okay", Hank said finally, "bring him over."

Wu nodded and waved Monroe to come in.

The tall and beardy man went over to Hank while Wu moved on to the other side of the office.

"Mister Monroe", Hank said and shook the hand of the other man when Monroe was beside him.

"Detective Griffin, I've heard what happened to Nick", Monroe said without hesitation.

"Yeah", Hank's hope to lighten up his own mood died. He'd known it better. "It's not good what happened to Nick."

"Not good?" Monroe asked. "That's terrible!"

This man knew the truth … Hank sighed. "Can I help you?" he asked. "I think it's a little early for a farewell. As far as we know Nick is still alive."

Monroe looked a lot better after learning this. "I'm not here to say goodbye. I'm here to offer my help", he answered.

Hank's eyes widened. "Your help?" he repeated. "With what?"

"Well, to search and hopefully rescue Nick", Monroe answered. "Aren't you looking for him?"

"Actually we do", Hank knew. "We are trying to triangulate Nick's cellphone."

Monroe looked more alive. "So you know where Nick is?" He asked full of hope.

Hank shook his head. "Unfortunately not. The cellphone is deactivated."

Monroe frowned. "But … aren't you able to activate it from the distance? I heard something like this would be possible now."

"When the battery is in it could", Hank answered. "But it looks like it's not."

Monroe looked thoughtfull down at him. Then he leaned forward, still catching Hanks eyes. "Listen to me, Detective Griffin. This ist very important!"

In this moment Hank's cellphone began to ring once more. Hank jumped again, pulling the phone out of his pocket he stared on the screen.

Nick!

He turned around to find Wu, standing in the other entry to the office, nodding at him. "I'm informing the geeks", he said into the silence.

Hank noticed all the work and noises stopped after his cellphone began to ring. Everyone seemed to look at him.

"Is that … ?" Monroe looked at the screen.

Hank took a deep breath before he accepted the call.

"Nick, partner, how's going?" he asked.

"Hank?" carked the voice of his younger partner out of the phone. Hank hat put the call on speaker by accident.

"Yeah man, it's me", he said, trying to sound as possitive as possible.

"Nick?" Monroe asked. "Hey, buddy. How's going? You don't sound too good, man, you know?"

Silence for a moment. Then:

"Monroe?" Nick's throaty voice asked. "Is that really you? What … where are you?"

"I'm at the precinct with Hank, man", Monroe replied. "And you seriously don't sound good, Nick. Whatever happened to you can't be good."

"It isn't", Nick answered. "Monroe, you are ..." A painful whimper interrupted whatever Nick was going to say.

"Nick?" Monroe asked. "Are you okay?"

"Three days, Hank, three days", Nick said and then the call ended.

Monroe stared at the cellphone. "Three days?" He finally asked. "Three days until what?"

Hank put the phone on his desk, searching for an answer. But finally he decided to tell the truth. "Three days until Nick will be dead."

Monroe stared at him, his face suddenly pale. "What?"

In this moment the cellphone again awake to life, telling everyone there was a new MMS coming in.

Hank wasn't able to pick up his phone. He simply couldn't stand another picture of his partner, all bloody and injured, helpless and getting weaker.

Monroe leaned above the cellphone. "Should I?" He asked.

Hank shook his head but still wasn't able to pick the phone up. "This isn't ..."

Monroe picked up the cellphone, activating the folder.

And in the same second when Monroe stepped back, first moaning then growling, Wu entered the office with full speed.

"Got something!" The Sergeant called. "This time the call was long enough!"

Hank jumped to his feet. "Where?"

"Northeastern, halfway to Seattle", Wu knew.

And suddenly the whole precinct came to life, but no one noticed the color of Monroe's eyes, which were glowing in a deep red …


	7. Turning Down

**A/N:** Sorry that this took so long. I was busy in RL and ... well, not that motivated in translating I have to confess. But finally ... here we go. I hope I didn't have done too much damage to the English language ...

* * *

Nick realized he'd must past out during the torture. The last thing he'd remembered was a terrible pain in his left shoulder, after that … nothing. Maybe better he thought, maybe much better for him.

Now he was sitting on his uncomfortable chair again while Stark pulled again the battery out of his cell before he started to tie the young Grimm to this chair.

Nick closed his one not injured eye, accepting the situation. As long as he was tied to the chair Stark would leave him alone. That meant he was safe. It would be dangerous again the moment Stark would loose him and drag him to stand up.

Nick imagined:

Juliette smiling, the flavour of fresh coffee in the morning, Monroe's warm eyes. Eyes so soft and caring it was hard to believe in Monroe's violent past.

Monroe …

Did he had halluzinations or did he really talked to Monroe a few minutes ago? But … what was Monroe doing with Hank?

Again Nick felt something inside himself, scratching and screaming and trying to drag him to let it out. The Grimm wanted the control he realized, but he wouldn't let him out. Not no, maybe never!

But it was clear as water to Nick that the fact that he was a Grimm made him such an interesting subject to torture for Stark. He really didn't realized that he changed, that something inside him changed. True, he was stronger now, physical and mentally spoken.

Great! The story of his life! Why this inheritage could have start first with the superpowers instead of letting him see strange things? Why didn't those extra-super-Grimm-powers to fight giants, trolls or whatever else Stark was? Nope, surely not! Instead his resistance was stronger than normal. Oh, how wonderful life could turn out sometimes!

And, what the heck does it mean to be a Grimm? What was a Grimm?

After looking through a couple of the books Nick thought of Grimm usually as killler-machines and warriors. And surely those Grimms had an affinity to decapitaling as far as he's looked through the books.

And, sorry, but Nick never wanted to become such a person! Heck, he just couldn't imagined his beloved aunt Marie as a coldblooded killer!

Maybe Grimm were like some animals: coldblooded hunters but the affectionativest parents to their childs? Surely Juliette could explain those things better to him, he only remembered some documentaries on „Animal Planet" about lions or bears or whatever.

Stark mumbled something that sounded a bit like "see you later" and turned around.

Nick watched how his torturer left the cabin and closed the door behind himself. He heard the sound of the bold pushing into hold, then the click of the lock and finally Stark's heavy steps.

Again he was alone …

Nick looked at his cell which was still on the desk.

Only one call! One time pushing the Emergency-button … only … one call! Freedom and a safe place only one call away …

Nick knew this was impossible. Stark took the battery with himself when he left the cabin. Without power the phone was useless.

But … Nick slowly recognized that he didn't feel the metal of his handcuffs around his wrists. He moved his head and looked at the rope, still hanging from the ceiling. And on one end of the rope there still were his handcuffs, still connected to the rope!

Why Stark hadn't tied him up again with his handcuffs?

Nick didn't know but he was aware that he suddenly had a chance to get free. He forced himself to move his arms – which leads to the feeling his left arm would explode the next second!

The rope Stark had used to tie him to the chair seemed to shrink the more he tried to move, so finally Nick gave in and stopped, shivering and sweating in pain.

Stark was a killer with a long list of victims. Not every of this victims was easily killed off. Some of them Stark had tortured several days before they were finally death. Just remember the last couple of vics Nick had seen with his own eyes.

No! He never would accept to end like one of those! He didn't want to get beat to death or lose a bodypart or whatever else!

For one moment Nick had to fight the tears burning in his healthy eye. He felt so damned helpless and lonely and didn't had a clue or chance to get free.

But … he wouldn't give in! Never! He wouldn't die here, killed off while Stark would torture him! He had to find a way to break free!

Again Nick looked around, this time in search of a weapon. But … there was nothing!

The blanket he had slept on last night, the bed Stark had slept in, the desk, the chairs … the fire in the fireplace was burned down. And … Stark's box full of special … toys.

Nick took a deep breath, well, as deep as he could with a gagged mouth.

And then … he was aware that he also wasn't gagged like the last time. Stark only had put some tape over his lips. Tape … and the voices from outside he'd heard earlier. The noises last night …

Nick thought about his situation. It was only a question of time until Stark would finally realize what he was. Sure, he was injured now, had a broken arm and a broken hand with broken fingers. But right now he was still able to run, and he would be able to scream if he would get rid off the tape! There were people outside the cabin – well, okay, from time to time, but there was life outside. So, he could sit here, waiting until Stark would come back, looking forward to a painful and slowly death. Or he could try to loose the tape from his lips and scream the hell out of here. Maybe not the manlist thing to do but surely the best way to flee.

The decision was made. Nick began to move his jaws to loose the tape …

* * *

"I don't think this is a good idea, Mister Monroe", Hank said.

Monroe couldn't believe it. "Do you know the area you have located Nick's phone?" he asked. "You will need every single man you can get, man!"

"Stark won't hide Nick somewhere in the woods", Hank answered. "He will keep him somewhere near a village. And that's our chance." But it was obvisiously Hank didn't believe in his own theory.

Only the photo on Hank's cell told the whole story. Nick looked heavily injured, full of pain, bloody and swolen. Like he'd done a little walk downside hell. And such a trip never was silently, not for a normal person and surely not for a Grimm.

Of course it was said about Grimm that they have more power, that their pain level was higher than usual. But just with such a high balance those injuries wouldn't be taken quietly. And Nick's voice didn't sound like he took a singing-lesson, nope! He'd sounded like he'd screamed the hell out of him, like he'd taken the road down to the next torture-chamber.

No one able to hear could have ignored what was going on in the neigbourhood. Especially not those sounds like Nick must have produced. Besides the fact that it surely had taken some attention during the rebuilding of the building.

"I'm sorry, Mister Monroe, but this is cop-work", Hank decided and stood up.

Not necessarily if the police wanted Nick back in one piece.

Monroe stood also up, still fixing Hank's eyes.

Hank didn't seem too comfortable under his eyes. Good!

"I'm sorry, Mister Monroe, but I have to refuse your help", he said. "And I really hope I don't have to put you into protective custody because you are suddenly planing your next vacation out there in the woods."

"It shouldn't be your problem, Detective Griffin", Monroe said. "Besides … isn't it my decision where I want to spend my time off?"

"Not in this case I fear", Hank answered. Then he sighed and nodded. "Come on, you can come with me down to the parking garage." He looked to the Captain's bureau where a tall man was picking up a sandy coat.

Monroe hesitated, thinking for a second about the rifle and the Siegbarste Gift he had in his car. But then he followed Hank in hope to get some more informations.

Something was going to happen, this was clear when Monroe joined Hank on his way again. All around them policeman and -women were on their way, all together, more or less, down to the parking lot or the garage where the cars and busses were waiting.

Monroe got what was going on and he hoped he already had helped the police. Seriously, he was sure he did! Obvisiously that Siegbarste hadn't thought about another one could pick up the call. And this hesitating finally led to the tracking they had now.

Unfortunately it was also clear all the policeman and -women didn't had a clue with what they had to deal here. Monroe was sure, if this would be necessary that Siegbarste would kill off the complete precinct! No problem for an ogre … well, not that big problem.

Why this stupid baby-Grimm didn't show up at his home as Nick was doing every other time? Why he stayed away and tried to deal with this one on his own?

Monroe knew the answer but he couldn't accept it – no one had known about the Siegbarste in Portland, plain and simple! Nick probably thought he would have to deal with a normal killer instead of a real enemy.

Hank stopped on the side of the stairways and turned around, blocking Monroe's way downstairs. "I'm sorry, Mister Monroe", he said again, "but I fear from here on we should separate. And, just in case, the police already has a plan how to deal with this danger. Stay away from it!"

Monroe blinkened. "And I still think you will need every man you can find", he said. "Besides … Nick is a friend of mine and I'm tending to defend my friends, you know?"

"Not in this case! Stay out of it!" Hank shook his head.

Monroe looked at the other man and began to think again. "Look, Detective", he finally said, "this guy you are after … this … how is the name? Stark? He is not normal!"

"I know", Hank answered. "Look, I know perfectly after what we are, Mister Monroe. I was the one who arrested Stark five years ago. And, believe me, only the fact that he had a good lawyer led him to be arrested in California and not in Oregon."

Monore stared while his brain began again to work.

So, Nick wasn't kidnapped by the Siegbarste because he was a Grimm but to take revenge on Hank – cruel revenge by the way! So there was the slide chance that this Siegbarste still didn't know whom he was killing the long way.

Siegbarste wasn't known for highly intelligence. True, they weren't this stupid then Schneetmacher but they seriously never would have a genius among them. It took a Siegbarste time to figure out what he wanted to do next and with and to whom. So the chance was really high that this Siegbarste wasn't aware of Nick as a Grimm. But this time was limited, very limited thinking about Nick's thrifty use of wolfsbane, but there was a chance. And this chance could mean Nick would stay alive a while longer than Monroe thought in the first place.

"I'm sorry." Hank turned around and took the next stairs down to the garage, leaving Monroe alone.

And Monroe's decision was written in stone: He would follow the police into the woods, and he would free his friend and do whatever it would take to get rid off the Siegbarste …


	8. Revelations

**A/N:** Warning! Don't read if you cannot stand violence!

* * *

Finally Nick got rid off the tape all over his mouth. But unfortunately this didn't help him.

No voices, no noises, nothing. It was like the world outside the cabin was vanished.

Where the heck he was here?

Nick listened to the possible sounds from outside the cabin. Wait a minute … was that a car?

What if Stark would come back before he got help? Maybe Nick would have a problem then, explaining whatever happened to the gag – well, IF Stark remembered. And something deep inside Nick told him, Stark would remember.

What if there would be people hear Nick screaming and coming for helping him out of here while Stark would come back?

The bad feeling in his gut became a pain only by thinking about this.

Stark didn't have problems torturing him, what he would do to strangers?

Judge Patterson suffocated with his own hammer after Stark beated the crap out of him. Mary Robinson, losing her tongue while still alive. The other vics Nick had read about in the file …

No, he definetely would bring others in dangerous trouble if Stark would come back. Heck, he himself would be in trouble!

The lock opened.

Nick's breath went faster.

Any idea. He needed an idea, something, an explanation! If Stark would find out …

The door opened.

Again the Grimm inside him yelled at him to let him out. Damned! What the Grimm could do what Cop Nick Burkhardt wasn't able to? No way to flee on his own, not with or without the Grimm.

But he could fight, the Grimm said.

Fight? Against this monster? Great idea to get killed the next second!

Stark's heavy footsteps entered the cabin.

If there was a God, Nick would be more than grateful for every help this God would offer to him. Now! A lightning to kill Stark, good idea, a heartattack to take him out, great, a SWAT-team of Grimm, they would be very welcomed! Nick would name all the kids he would be father of after every single helping hand he would get NOW.

Stark brought a storm-light with him, turned it on and looked at his captive.

"What happened?" he asked.

Damned!

"It loosened", Nick answered and looked up, after Stark stopped at his side. "Seriously!"

Stark nodded and turned around.

Nick sighed silently but then …

Stark looked back down at him, turned around again, grabbing Nick's chin and staring directly in his face.

Oh NO!

"Grimm!" Stark said.

* * *

Monroe hesitated for a moment.

He was really, really pissed! Usually he would do an extra round yoga, followed by a session of a singing bowl-therapy. Usually would mean … usually. Usually definetely meant, usually his help was welcomed and not turned down!

Usually there was none of his friend in mortal danger!

He'd really tried it! He'd offered his help! And usually this help was welcomed, not turned down.

Monroe still felt angry, but he followed the convoi of police cars.

He'd tried it! He'd really tried it! Usually, in the never before happened situation of turning down his offer, he would drive home and doing some clock-work to calm himself down – or better hiding his frustration behind the every-day-work.

But this wasn't an usual situation! This was … important and new! Refreshing and terrifying and …

Nick's big blue eyes looked at him. Another day of finding a Baby-Grimm on his porch. As much as Monroe moaned about Nick Burkhardt coming up to him in every impossible situation he could think of, he wouldn't miss the friendship with this so unusual Grimm! And he surely didn't want to miss a chance to help his new friend and possible earn his trust.

Nope, no way of getting him out of this, Monroe decided. The police didn't know with what they had to deal with if they would find Stark. It was up to him not only to help Nick but also the complete precinct. This way or another, he would help to free his friend!

Why the heck Nick didn't come to him as he'd showed up at his house every single time else?

Monroe knew the answer: Nick had hurt him with his reaction, Monroe showed this to his friend. And Nick? His reaction was obvicious: he turned around, leaving Monroe behind.

Nick liked to manipulate others, but he was blind to the consequences. Monroe showed some of those consequences to him and Nick ran away. Stupid little Baby-Grimm! He should have known better! He should have known that this time it could be a Wesen around too dangerous to handle with it on his own.

But that was Nick. Mornoe couldn't help himself but he was sure, he didn't was listed on Nick's „Friend's page". But he, Monroe, had Nick on his. And for his friends Monroe would do nearly everything.

So Monroe followed the convoi on the highway to Seattle. During the ride he opened the window and let in freezing cold air of winter. But that was okay with him. He had to be able to take a deep sniff here and there. Maybe he would find a track to Nick, or the Siegbarste – or both …

* * *

Once more Nick hit the ground, rolling around until the next wall stopped him.

This time he really feared his jaw could be broken. Two teeth were definetely loose.

Somewhere deep inside himself the survival instinct jumped in and let him crawl away – well, at least trying to crawl away from Stark. But the Wesen had other things in mind. Stark grabbed him again, picking him up from the ground.

This was his end, Nick was sure. He would never see Juliette again, Never have a drink with Hank or Monroe. He would never again laugh about Wu's legendary oneliners. Now and here he would die. He would die because of something he couldn't change.

Stark's fist again hit Nick's damaged gut and made him crimp. The hit was this hard that Nick lost his balance and was flying through the air about some feet before he hitted the ground so hard, stars were dancing in front of his eyes.

"Damned Grimm!" Stark yelled at him that Nick feared his eardrums would explode.

Nick coughed blood and tried again to crawl away from the Wesen, not really knowing what to do now.

Stark decided in his case, stampered with his heavy boots on Nick's heal hand. Nick yelled in pain and curled himself up for a moment, shivering and gasping and fighting the black out.

Again Stark grabbed him, this time by his hair, pulled him to his feet again – only to hit him again, this time in his face. Not the best change Nick decided while he lost his balance again, beginning to reel to his knees. Stark grabbed him and … next Nick was aware of was a hard pain in his jaws after those collided with Stark's knee.

Nick dropped to the ground, half fainted, half aware of the reality, trying to fight back his way to the surface of his own again. He gulped, coughed again, tried to come up to his feet – but he couldn't!

And then … Nick felt how something surrounded his neck. Nick felt how he was pulled back, while the whatever was around his neck made it impossible to breathe anymore. Helpless Nick tried to grab something he probably could use as weapon, but there was nothing.

His lungs yelled for air, his body hurt, his sight went slowly darker and darker …

And then …

Fresh air filled his lungs and let him cough again.

"No, not this easy, Grimm", Stark's voice said to him.

Surely not, Nick knew. He was a Grimm, he was the enemy, the badass. Every Wesen would be thankful that someone had killed him.

Every Wesen?

Monroe's sad face looked at him, the moment Stark pulled Nick to his feet again.

And this time … Nick let the Grimm out! He knew it was ways too late, but he simply didn't want to die. Not here, not now and surely not the way Stark wanted him dead.

The Grimm came out, knowing he couldn't hurt Stark but also instinctively knowing about the weakness of the Wesen.

Nick's elbow crushed into Stark's gut. He knew this wouldn't hurt Stark as much as it hurt him but that wasn't the plan.

Stark grunted and staggered two steps back in surprise.

This was what Nick needed.

With another hit in the gut he came free. Nick stumbled a couple of steps before he again hit the ground, but still trying to crawl forward. The direction was clear: the door. The only entry/exit this cabin had.

Nick crawled to the door, still listening to the sounds in his back. But he didn't look back. He didn't want to see Stark. This was sureley the last chance to flee he had. This time it counted and he had to leave – ASAP!

Still stunned Nick came to the door, and began without hesitation to open the bold. His broken hands hurt like hell but he did the best to ignore the pain.

Footsteps behind him told him that Stark was on his way.

Nick tried his best, but both his hand-bones were broken now. But he had to flee!

Nick didn't knew how but finally … the bold began to move.

Nick felt so good and revealed.

There was a way! He would flee.

But in the next moment Stark war close enough to grab him again. And Nick … ?

When he'd felt again the big and heavy hand grabbing him by the back of his neck a roar came out of his throat, deep and wild and sounding aggressive. It was more a reflex then a real attempt to protect himself that he tried to hit Stark again. But the Wesen was warned now. Another hit, followed by a kick, hitted Nick, who again felt like fainting. Then Stark loosened him, only to throw him to the ground again, kicking him hard in the side. Nick's body slid away and the last thing he saw was one of those trunks used for the walls, a splitsecond before his head collided with this trunk …

* * *

Hank looked at that little screen of the GPS in Renard's SUV. He didn't really know after what he was looking for. They only had a vague direction, nothing more. Somewhere here, in the middle of the woods, there was Nick. And with Nick there was this damned Stark!

Renard drove. He'd just done a call for more backup, now he was looking out of the windscreen, frowning, then looking at the driving mirror for a second.

They probably were started too early – or too late, Hank feared. It would take ways too long to search the entire property. On the other hand, Nick only had this single chance. In his condition he wouldn't survive another day …

Maybe he should have accepted the offer from Nick's friend?

Hank thought about that again. This Monroe, this guy was … To be true, Hank didn't know what to think about this weird friendship. Nick, grounded guy with a working relationship and Monroe, looner, clockworker, all these weird clocks in his house … No way to think how they would fit together.

But …

Hank suddenly remembered that little scene between Nick and Monroe that morning two days ago: Monroe offering them some coffee and telling Nick to show Hank where the kitchen was. And Nick? Suddenly Hank realized Nick's first reaction: his partner shook his head with widened eyes. And Monroe? He looked worried and sad. It was just like Nick didn't want Hank to know about this friendship.

Weird!

"Everything's alright?" Renard asked.

Hank took a deep breath, then nodded. "Think so, sir", he answered. "I'm only thinking about … well, you know that friend of Nick's? That clockworker we asked about Mary's watch?"

Renard frowned and took another look into the driving mirror. "You'd mentioned him, yes", he answered. "What's wrong with him?"

Hank shrugged. "Dunno … I mean, he was at the precinct. He was the one who took over the last call from Nick."

Renard nodded. "I saw him. Did he know anything?"

"No, don't think so", Hank hesitated, then he sighed. "He offered his help."

"That's very kind of him", Renard said. "Is anything wrong with that? I think we can use every help we get."

"Well, sir, I don't think so", Hank answered. "I think he's too close to this. And he's civilian."

Renard took another look into the mirror. "But he's also the one we have to thank for this chance to find Nick, am I right?" he asked.

Hank nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Is he driving an old VW Beetle, by the way?" Renard asked.

"Uhm … think so. Why?"

"Well, maybe you will get a second chance, Hank. There's a blue VW Beetle following us from the precinct", Renard told him and sent him a look. "Do you have his number? Maybe you should call him and tell him it's not necessary anymore to play this silly hide & seek."

"Yes, sir ..." Hank pulled his cell out of the pocket.


	9. Tracking

Monroe pulled over and followed the lane into the woods, just like Hank had told him via phone a few minutes ago.

Weird! First the detective didn't want his help, then it was accepted. Monroe would doubt to say it was welcomed, but accepted. And he didn't believe that Hank actually had thought about using his extraordinary nose just like Nick had done with the Mellifer.

Remembering his duty Monroe sniffed again, hoping for the small track of smell getting stronger. Still he had that slide Siegbarste-odor-mixed-with-a-drop-of-Grimm-smell in his nose, not sure if this was getting stronger or not. Well, the Siegbarste WAS getting stronger, to be correct.

A single person came into the lights of the headlights. Monroe stopped at its side and looked up into the face of Hank Griffin.

"Should I give you a ride or what?" he asked.

Hank sighed and shrugged. "First I want to apologize, Mister Monroe", he said, leaning forward. „I was rude and that wasn't necessary. Second i will ask you to join us. I've talked to the captain and he's fine with that."

It was the opposite, this was clear, only by looking into Hank's face. Obviciously he was following the Captain's order and this wasn't his idea. And he still didn't looked too excited about Monroe, joining the search party.

"Okay", Monroe said. "That's fine with me."

Hank nodded. "Then you can park your car right there", he said pointing with a finger in a direction another police-car war already parked. "The captain said we should search this area."

The smell told Monroe that they were still miles away from the Siegbarste. So this search party was probably supposed to be the one with the most distance from the original scene.

Monroe pulled a face but he drove over to the other car and parked his old Beetle next to it.

When he turned around remembered the rifle.

Damned, he only had barely experience with shooting – an old colt in his long gone wild times shooting some empty beer-bottles and tins. Besides the fact that he still didn't know how to put the Siegbarste Gift into the Siegbarste. Would it be enough only to dip one of those bullets into the poison or whatelse he had to do with it?

And what he was supposed to do with the rifle? He couldn't take it with him, that thing was ways to bold not to take the attention. So … what?

Two uniformed policemen left the car next to him, the Asian cop he'd seen at Nick's house looked down to him. "So we meet again, huh?" the Asian cop asked. "By the way, I'm Wu."

"Monroe", Monroe introduced himself, still thinking about what to do with rifle and poison.

"So, you will help us?" Wu leaned into the window and looked at him. "I hope you're doing a good job, Mister Monroe. I don't want to search a second man."

Monroe looked up, straight into Wu's face. Two dark eyes were smiling down at him. "Let's go, Mister Monroe!"

Monroe looked again over his shoulder to the bag with the rifle and noticed Hank coming up to them.

Hank was Nick's partner and close to the Grimm, he, Monroe, was Nick's friend and the other two …

Monroe moved his head again. "Do you know Nick well?" he asked Wu.

Wu nodded. "Was his mentor before he became a detective. And that guy", he pointed behind himself to the other side of the police car, "was Nick's last partner before he became a detective."

So they all were close.

Monroe had an idea. The captain was a clever man, on one hand let them do the search-part, put very possible to put them as far away from the middle of the track as he could.

Again Monroe looked at the bag with the rifle.

"Damned!" he sighed, leaning forward and pulling the bottle with the poison out of the locker. While he moved himself out of the car he also grabbed the bag with the rifle from the backseat. He heard Hank explaining to the two officers where they had to search and nodded.

Yep, they were as far away from the Siegbarste as they could. Clever man, this captain …

"Mister Monroe, are you ready to go?" Hank asked him.

Monroe shouldered the bag with the rifle. "I'm ready", he answered.

Wu got big eyes. "That's what I call a gun!" he said, pointing at the barrel of the rifle which was visible ways above Monroe's head. "Family owned, right, Mister Monroe?"

"It's only Monroe."

Wu and Hank exchanged a look, then Wu shrugged.

"Interesting stagename", he said.

"Let's go!" Hank waved to the fourth man and Monroe and turned around.

This was going to get interesting …

* * *

Nick woke up in pain. Real, hard, cold pain which let him moan.

He opened the one eye only to notice Stark leaning above him. Trying to move Nick finally got that he was tied to the table this time, both of his arms to each side of the table legs.

"Good morning", Stark grinned down to him.

Nick looked up to recognize the hammer in Stark's hand. A big hammer with fresh dripping blood on its head. And Nick got WHERE the pain he felt was coming from …

"We will see how fast you will run after this", Stark said to him lifting the hammer.

Nick stared at the tool, looking so tiny in Stark's big hand, and tried to prepare himself against what would be happen to him the next moment. He closed his eye again, pressing his jaws together, keeping his breath and trying to imaginate himself somewhere else.

And the next moment … his complete little world shrinked down to a red and bloody pain in his leg after Stark hit this leg again with the hammer, splitting the bones with only this one hit.

Nick screamed in pain.

Stark waited until Nick's yelling sttopped in a gasp before he again hit, this time the other leg, again breaking the bones, this time the kneecap, again Nick screamed out his pain.

"Does this hurt?" Stark asked with a cold light in his eyes.

Nick bit his lips and looked up, into the face of his keeper.

Stark had morphed into his Wesen-form – great! Whatever this guy was wasn't the niecestt look, especially not in this form.

"What do you think your partner will do if I would send you in parts back to him?" Stark asked.

"You won't tease Hank", Nick whispered with a throaty voice, shooking his head and fighting the tears. "Never!"

"Be sure, I can!" With this … the hammer hit the next bone into pieces …

* * *

This was ridicolous!

Hank felt like a babysitter for Monroe. This man acted nuts in his eyes. And he had no clue why the Captain accepted Monroe as part of their search party.

Hank was sure they three together, he himself, Wu and Deveraus, Renard had teamed up because they were the closest to Nick, and Monroe also a civilian and Nick's friend. Surely they wouldn't find anything, not here, not in their part of the woods.

And then this big and surely heavy rifle Monroe was carrying. Wanted he to go on an elephant-hunting? Or better dinosaurs?

But … Monroe was the one who brought them the needed time to track the direction of Nick's location. Monroe seemed to be tougher than Hank thought he would be.

But why the heck anyone should lift his or her nose in the air, sniffing out of the blue. What this Monroe thought he would smell? Surely not Nick, that was clear.

Again Hank heard the sniffing sound, directly followed by a tiny giggling from Wu.

"Sorry, but, this is funny!" the Sergeant said after Hank gave him a look.

Monroe was standing there between some ferns, holding his nose into the air and sniffing like he was a bloodhound or something.

"This guy is completely nuts!" Wu decided. "What he think he would smell?"

"Dunno", Hank answered and shrugged.

And in the same moment Monroe turned around, again holding his nose in the air. "I smell him!" he finally said. "Come with me!"

Wu besides Hank now began to sniff himself, shrugging then. "Sorry but I only smell the typcial odor of the woods, nothing more."

"There's a very clear track and it's carrying Nick's smell!" Monroe said again.

Hank paused and looked at Wu. Was he wrong or had Monroe's eyes changed their color to a dark and gloomy red?

"There IS Nick! Do you join me or not?" Monroe looked from one to another. Shooking his head he left the ferns. "Fine, I'm going alone!"

"Why anyone should believe in a guy running through the woods at night, sniffing the air?" Wu, still on his side, asked.

Good question …


	10. Rescue

Stark was looking through his toys again, picking up this or that from the box. Nick watched him with tired eyes.

Still Nick was tied to the table and now the massive pain in his broken legs kept him awake. Unable to loose conscious or fall asleep this was all he could do – well, beside plotting another attempt to break free.

But, Nick was too much of a realist, he knew he does not have any chance to leave this cabin on his own. Not with two broken legs! But if he wouldn't try to flee he would be dead the next day, that was clear. Stark wouldn't stop this time before the Grimm, every Wesen's enemy, would be dead and gone.

Nick moved his head to look at the door, the only way in and out of the cabin. The door was closed now, the bold blocked it again.

If Monroe would know about him and would be somewhere near, maybe he could sniff him out, Nick thought. Just like the Blutbad did with the Mellifer-queen once …

Maybe he should have told Monroe about the trailer and the books, Nick continued. Monroe was able to speak German, he would surely understand what was written in the books. Besides the fact that … Monroe was right now the best friend he had, Nick realized.

But instead of trusting him he decided to step back from this friend.

No, that wasn't only because Aunt Marie had told him not to show the trailer to anyone. This was … this was because Nick simply couldn't put this new friend into any category, he couldn't stand for their friendship without revealing himself as was he was now. And he couldn't do that because he still didn't know what to think about this whole situation.

Stark turned around to him showing a small silvery chain to him. "Whatcha think, Grimm?" He asked. "It's time for getting serious, right?"

Nick licked his lips, looking up into the face of his keeper. "I don't think we were playing games so far", he answered. "And no, no interest in whatever you will offer."

Stark grinned down at him, rattling the chain. "It's the right size to amputate extremities, you know?" He said.

Nick took a deep breath, trying to stare his keeper down but already knowing he was about to lose this fight.

Stark came back to him, kneeling besides him. "You will tell me Griffin's new addrees, will you?" he asked.

„Why should I?" Nick looked at the Wesen closely. "You cannot threaten him. Not with me!"

Stark's grin was growing while he put that chain around Nick's left arm. "Be sure, I can. And you will tell me everything I want to know, that's also sure ..."

Nick took another deep breath, trying once more to prepare himself, while the chain began to straighten around his arm …

* * *

Monroe stopped, the nose again high in the air and sniffing.

He still smelled the Grimm in Nick, no question. And this smell was getting stronger, no meaning. But also the stink of the Siegbarste was getting stronger every felt minute. Definetely not good, Monroe decided.

And there was something that made him really worried about his friend: the smell of fresh blood! Usually Monroe wouldn't have think twice about it, but this blood smelled different, associated to the smell of the Grimm. And that was definetely the second not so good news.

It was a while now since he had left the police-men behind. And seriously? He didn't miss them. But, on the other hand, maybe not his wisest decision to leave them behind.

But still he had Hank's and Wu's reaction in mind after he began to sniff the Siegbarste and then Nick. In the best way they would think about him as Nick's completely nuts crazy-friend the clockworker. And there also was the fact that he couldn't call the Blutbad inside himself as long as he was surrounded by Nick's coworkers.

So Monroe finally decided, the best way would be to check out everything before running back (to leave the search-party didn't mean he couldn't find them anymore) and getting the needed help for Nick. He surely wasn't that crazy to try to deal with a Siegbarste on his own!

Monroe trotted through the woods, fully woged into his Wesen and, because he was a Wesen, nearly silently. The trees and bushes all around him seemed to glow now, while he was Blutbad. Something he always loved about his abnormality.

Then the trees stopped and Monroe found himself on a road. Well, road was a too big word for this better path deep in the woods. But it was something, especially after he'd noticed the pickup, parked near a small cabin.

Monroe sniffed again and had to step back. The smell of Siegbarste was simply overwhelming here! And unfortunately also the smell of blood.

Where the hell … ?

Monroe looked the path up and down, finally deciding to use the way to his right and walking up where he could see some lights shimmering through the trees. But after a few steps he stopped.

Wrong way! Both, the smell of Grimm-blood and the stink from the Siegbarste wasn't that strong anymore. Not as strong as they were …

Monroe turned around, looking at the cabin and the pickup again. Wasn't there some light shimmering through the blinds of the cabin?

He walked back to the pickup, again sniffing and looking at the cabin. There was a new lock on the door. Why the hell anyone should put money into something like this? The whole thing looked like it would collapse within the next ten minutes?

The smell was again getting stronger.

Monroe wasn't sure, not completely. Should he go back and call Hank and Wu for help? And what if there was a second Siegbarste around and he was wrong about the blood? What if … ?

The next second someone yelled in pain. It came out of the cabin, was Monroe's first thought. The second … that it was Nick's voice!

With a deep growl Monroe jumped at the door of the cabin, ready for everything …

* * *

Hank had left Wu and Deveraux behind to search Monroe. Better to watch the civilian before something bad would happen. Renard would kick his ass if something would happen to the clockworker.

So Hank followed Monroe as good as he could to finally stumble over the bag and the rifle Monroe brought with him. Surely he'd left them behind, the rifle was heavy and big, so it was a miracle that he'd carried it so long.

Hank shook his head and took both with him, just to be sure.

No matter what, he would have some serious conversations after Nick's rescue, this was clear. One time with his partner about Monroe (this guy was nuts!) and one time with Monroe about the right handling of weapons.

Something inside the bag was jingling so Hank stopped again to find himself on a small path. Giving in to his curiousity he opened the bag to find some of the biggest bullets he'd seen in his life inside of it. The jingling sound definetely came from them. And there was a second, separated part of the bag where a cloth was protecting a small bottle with some liquid of orange color.

Hank shook his head again, shouldering the bag he took a look around and followed the path with his eyes in both directions.

Wait a minute, there was a pickup parked in some distance. The flashlight just picked it up.

No Monroe anywhere.

Hank was impressed. He never thought that big and clumsy man could make it this far in the woods without any accident. But it looked like …

There were noises.

Hank listened while he was going into the direction of the pickup.

That sounded like … someone would fight.

What the … ?

Finally the plates of the car came into the flashlights and let Hank freeze for a second.

He knew them! There was a pickup stolen the night Nick was kidnapped! And the description the owner gave to the police just looked like Stark.

Damned!

Hank turned around, again listening to the now louder and nearer sounds to see the entry of a cabin. There was a light from the inside showing some movement. And then there was a painful yelling. And the voice Hank knew too well.

He pulled out his radio and ran up to the cabin. "Here's Griffin, I got him! I found Nick! Need backup!" he said moving up to the cabin.

And then there was this howling that made Hank not only stop but also shiver. It sounded like a very, a really very big and very pissed wolf. And it seemed to also lead him to the cabin.

Hank pushed himself up to the small house and stopped again at the entry.

The door to the cabin was still hanging in one of its angles, the second one was missing. And the inside …

Hank's eyes widened when he noticed Oleg Stark, who was fighting with some... thing hairy, ferocious and wild with a slide affinity to old werewolf-creatures. To fight this creature seemed to consume all of Stark's attention, which was good enough for Hank to see the third person, sitting on the ground. All bloody and sour: Nick!

"Damned, I've found you, partner! I've found you!"

Hank stepped into the cabin and hushed to Nick's side, pulling his pocket-knife out of the pocket after he'd noticed that his partner was tied up to that table.

"Oh my God, Nick! It's good to see you, man", he said, kneeling beside Nick.

My, the young man looked terrible to Hank. Both Nick's legs were swollen, one of his leg-bones was visible through a hole in his jeans. Nick's hands also were swollen and full of brushes.

Nick looked up to him with one eye, the other wasn't visible right now.

"Hank?" the young man asked.

"Yeah, man, it's me." Hank freed his partner and helped him as good as he could. Unfortunately Nick was a little to heavy to carry him but he did his best to drag him out of the cabin.

While he was busy with his partner the fight between Stark and that strange creature continued. But, Hank noticed that after he'd dragged Nick out of the cabin and looked back, Stark was going to win …

"We have to help him!" Nick demanded. "Now!"

Hank helped his partner to sit down near the entry of the cabin. "It's okay, Nick. Backup is coming", he answered.

Nick shook his head. "You don't understand! Stark isn't normal, Hank!"

"Yeah, that's why I called for backup", Hank answered. „Rest, Nick. Help is on its way."

"You DON'T understand! Stark will kill Monroe if we're not helping him!" Nick's voice was clear and cold and angry.

Hank paused. "What?"

That creature should be Monroe? No way!

Nick seemed to notice something, staring up to him. "You have the rifle!" He whispered, a second before something was hitting the wall next to him and made him jump.

"What the hell … ?" Hank didn't get anything anymore, looking down to his partner who was crawling back to the entry. "What are you doing, Nick?" he finally asked.

Nick stopped at the entry, looking back inside the cabin. "What about the rifle?" he yelled.

What?

And then … Nick got an answer from a voice Hank had never heard before: "Bag .. Gift is poison … bullets."

"Nick, are you crazy?" Hank asked.

Nick was moving around, his swollen face a mask of pain. "The bag, we need the bag", he said.

"What are you trying to do?" Hank asked.

"Saving the life of a friend! Now! The bag!" Nick's face was deadly serious.

Again some...one was hitting one of the walls and let Hank look at the cabin.

Well …

"Do it now!" Nick ordered.

Hank shook his head, grabbing the bag from his shoulder. He put the rifle aside, kneeled at Nick's side and opened the bag.

"There are the bullets", Hank said pointing at the main bag.

Nick nodded, lifting his swollen hand he'd tried to point at the bottle with the orange liquid. "That's the poison. Get it!" He ordered.

Hank sighed. "Nick, you ..."

A painful howl came out of the cabin.

"Get the bottle and dump that stuff upon the bullets. Now!" Nick ordered. "Do it, Hank! We are running out of time!"

Hank sighed again but decided to do what his partner wanted him to do. He opened the bottle and wrinkled his nose.

"That stinks!"

"Dump it!"

Hank dropped some of that liquid into the other half of the bag.

"Get the rifle, put those bullets in and shot Stark", Nick ordered.

"We should wait for backup", Hank said.

"We don't! If we will wait Monroe will be death – and we are probably too!" Nick's face stayed this damned serious.

"Alright." Hank loaded the rifle. "You see?"

"Now shot Stark." Nick began to shiver while the noises from inside the cabin suddenly … stopped with a whimper.

"Oh my God!" Hank lifted the rifle when he saw a big and heavy shadow appearing at the entry. "Oleg Stark!"

"Shot him!" Nick yelled.

And Stark noticed them both now, coming straight up to them.

Hank stepped back, lifting the rifle. "Oleg Stark, stop! Now! You are under arrest! Put your ..." The next moment Stark's first crashed into Hank's face. Hank stumbled backwards, and another hit hit his arm. He loosened the rifle before a third hit let him collide with a tree nearby the cabin. Hank's head collided with this tree and let him loose his conscious.

The last thing he heard was a bang when someone shot with the rifle …


	11. Epilogue

**A/N:** So, here's the end of the story. And I hope you will like it. I have to say to those who know the original version, I've completely reworked this chapter because of the feedback I got from the reviewers. I hope now it's clearer what is working with and in Nick after what happened to him.

* * *

Some days later:

Nick felt sour and was angry. Angry about his injuries, angry that he needed help for really anything to do, angry for still feeling helpless. Angry about what he was. Angry in so many ways he couldn't name it.

A couple of months ago he had a little perfect life, doing a job he really loved, living together with the woman, the love of his life. A couple of months ago he'd planned to ask Juliette to become his wife, build a family, maybe having kids.

Now he was lying in the hospital after a fairytale-monster broke into Juliette's house and kidnapped him, tortured him and was about to amputate his extremeties when he was finally found. Nick would never forget this days, he was sure. To be true, he feared the day when he would released from the hospital and would go back to Juliette, in the house where he was kidnapped, where it all begun.

During the first time his new ability scared him, but before Oleg Stark kidnapped him he accepted it to be a Grimm. He felt this ability could be useful, not in the way his anchestors had walked on but to be able to actually see the diversity underneath humankind – and what else these Wesen were then a different sort of human?

Now this feeling had changed. Nick felt not longer amusement and curiousity but … he hated what happened to him. Maybe because he really didn't know the reason. True, Stark wanted him dead after he found out he was a Grimm but before. Was this story the Siegbarste had told him true?

So not only the pain from his broken bones and hurt stomach or the concussion or even the bruises kept him awake, it was also not to KNOW what happened before and led to the situation he stucked in for several days.

With another surgery (or two or three) in mind Nick would have a long time to think about his situation. And one thing was for sure: he still wanted to be a cop, but he wasn't sure if he would find again the strength to be a Grimm. But what he surely needed at the beginning of his inner process of regeneration was to be certain.

That it was why he begged Juliette helping him out of his bed and into a wheeling chair so she could drive him over to the other room where Hank was still in.

Hank, Nick always had trust in him. He thought about his partner as a true policeman, as someone he could look up to. But after what Stark had told him in that cabin Nick simply wasn't sure anymore.

"Hey man, how you are doing?" Hank said when Juliette rolled the wheeling chair into his room. "Juliette, you're lighting up my day!"

"Nick was worried about you", Juliette said, putting her hand on Nick's shoulder. "Don't stay too long. You should lay in your bed."

"I know", Nick smiled looking up to her. "But … could you … please?"

This wasn't for her ears. This could end up ugly and Nick didn't want her to see the not so bright side of his job. He always tried his best to keep her out of this. And mostly Juliette seemed to be thankful for his attempt.

"I'll be back in a few", she said and kissed his cheek. "You are prickly, you need a shave." She laughed and left him, nodding in Hank's direction before she left the room, closing the door behind herself.

"You are looking better, man", Hank said.

Nick nodded. "You too."

Hank's impact with the tree after his impact with Stark was a direct ticket to the hospital. A concussion bound him mostly to the bed. But this time here was limited. Tomorrow Hank would released from hospital. After that … Nick wasn't sure if he would try to ask his partner. This, the hospital, they are both injured and weak, this was a sort of neutral zone. Back in the precinct or in the car … no, that was out in the field. And Nick had to be sure if he could trust his partner!

"I still have to thank you for saving my life, man", Hank said.

"No problem." Nick's voice still was cold and neutral. He looked into Hank's face without any expression. "What about your memory?"

Hank shook his head. "Nothing. I remember being with Wu and the watch-guy in the woods searching for you but … nothing else. The doctors are saying maybe it will come back, maybe not. It's fifty-fifty now."

Nick nodded.

"Everything okay, Nick?" Hank finally asked.

Nick lifted his chin but then … he shook his head. "Do you know why Stark was after you?" he asked.

Hank startled. "No", he anwered. "I mean … I think he was pissed because all he'd killed were involved into the case that brought him into jail. But ..."

"Did you know anything about an illegal deal between the DA and the judge?" Nick interrupted, and suddenly his voice were clear and hard. "Were you involved into anything illegal back then?"

Hank stared at him and finally began to shook his head. "No", he said, "I mean … come on, man! You knew Judge Patterson yourself. He was hard but fair. He'd never allowed any kind of illegal deal on his court. If DA Robinson had done something he'd turned her down and kicked her out of the DA-office!"

That was true, Nick knew Patterson. Not very well but he was called by the DA for one or two times before this happened. And he knew the reputation of the judge.

"But ..." Hank sighed and moved in his bed. "Look, Nick, that was … difficult, you know It's hard to explain."

"Did you do something?" Nick asked, again all focused on his partner.

Hank sighed again, looking aside he began to nod. "Yeah."

Nick's face hardened. "What?"

Hank shook his head. "It's over, Nick. Stark is dead now and you are safe. This isn't necessary."

"It is!" Nick replied hard. "I have every right to know why this man kept me under his force during several days, tortured me and finally tried to kill me! I have to know, Hank!"

Hank looked at him with sympathy in his eyes. "I wished I could have helped you earlier, man", he said.

"Then help me now!"

Hank sighed again and … began again to nod. "Look, wherever Stark killed someone there also was a robbery, mostly in the same timeframe", he began to explain, "and so it was with the family Stark tortured and killed here. There was a robbery. We had the whole thing on video. That guy who did it … he just looked close enough to Stark to give him an alibi."

Nick frowned. "What did you do?" he asked.

Hank shrugged. "I knew if the jury would see the tape they would set Stark free. So ..."

"You got rid off the tape", Nick finished.

"I only misplaced it", Hank answered, just when the door opened and Captain Renard came in.

The tall man with the characteristic profile looked surprised at Nick, then nodded in Hank's direction. "I wanted to look after my best team. Seems like I only have to visit one of you to also see the other." A small smile lifted one side of his mouth. "Nick, don't you think you should better stay in your bed and let the others do the visits? Besides, you are looking much better."

"Thank you, sir", Nick said and smiled back.

He felt … different now. Knowing the truth, knowing that Stark was wrong about this conspiration but also Hank failed on duty … it felt weird, wrong. But he also was reliefed not to be completely wrong about his partner.

"Hank will be released tomorrow", Nick said to Renard. And suddenly he wanted to get out of here, as soon as possible.

Renard looked at him with amusement. "Well, then one half of my best team will get back to duty soon. But you should take your time, Nick. You know what the doctors told you about your injuries."

That it was possible that there would be some surgeries needed to get back the complete power about the arm Stark was about to amputate when help finally arrived.

This reminded Nick on the other man involved into this.

Renard still looked at him, worried now. "Look, Nick, you are save now. Sooner or later you will return to duty, can do your job. But this takes time, especially after what happened ..."

"I'm fine, sir." Nick said.

Hank looked at him again. "Maybe a visit with the ..."

"I'm fine!" Nick repeated.

Renard sighed and moved to Hank. "Do you remember anything what happened after you left Wu and Deveraux behind?" he asked.

Hank shook his head again. "Sorry, no."

Renard looked at Nick. "What about this clockworker? He wanted so much to be part of the search-party and disappeared then."

"That was a weird guy!" Hank said. "He sniffled and said he could smell Stark."

"Well, neither of us, not Stark and surely not me had showered during the days", Nick said.

Renard seemed amused again. "But he's still the wild card as we don't know where to place him."

"He left the party to search of his own and had an accident", Nick said. "As far as I know he bumped down a hillside and is all bruised up now."

"You had contact?" Renard asked.

And Nick took a deep breath. "We are friends, Monroe and I", he answered. "I called him after I got my new cell."

"So he wasn't anywhere near that cabin?"

Nick shook his head. "Nope."

"What about the rifle?" Hank asked. "I remember him carrying this weird big rifle. That thing looked like ancient."

"He lost it", Nick answered, but making a note to himself to ask Monroe what happened to it.

Renard nodded. "Then that it was. Stark is dead, everyone else is safe now, true, some of us still have a long way to recover, but ..."

And again the door opened to let Juliette enter the room.

The captain looked at her and nodded. "I'm glad you are better now, Miss Silverton", he said.

"I'm fine ...now", Juliette answered, putting her hand on Nick's shoulder. "And it's time now to go back to bed for you", she said to him.

Nick nodded.

Still he felt helpless while Juliette drove him back to his room, helping him back into his bed. But … something changed inside him. The reminder he gave himself was still working.

There was also Monroe he had to talk to. There were so many things now … so many …

Juliette left him after the ways too early dinner. That finally gave Nick the time he needed and was looking for. He picked up his brandnew cell from the nightstand and managed somehow to dial Monroe's number. He was nervous waiting for an answer but finally:

"Yep?" Monroe's voice said. "What do you want?"

"I only wanted to make sure you're okay", Nick said. "I just saw Hank."

"How is he?" Monroe asked.

"Well, he will released tomorrow. But he still cannot remember what happened at the cabin", Nick answered. "So I kept to our statement. I killed Stark."

"With two broken hands. This stunt you have to repeat, you know that, right?" Monroe didn't sound too worried not to get the attention he usually should have. It wasn't Nick who shot Stark in that night, it was Monroe, half broken, all bloody and dizzy after the fight, who catched the rifle before it fell on the ground and shot Stark before the Siegbarste could kill Hank.

After that Monroe got the rifle and the bag with the rest of the poison and some more bullets and left the scene before the backup was there. Nick felt for his also injured friend but he knew it was better for all of them that Monroe was long gone before anyone else could see him.

"Everything's okay with you, dude?" Monroe asked.

"I'm good. How about your back and the bruises?" Nick asked.

"The next Siegbarste you have to fight, man, be sure. I will do that never again. Besides, you owe me a new shirt and bag. And it wasn't necessary to use nearly half of the poison! You guys only had to dip the bullets into the bottle not pour all the stuff into my bag. Do you have any idea how rare this poison is?"

Nick laughed. "I will buy you a new bag and a new shirt, no problem. And you will get a present-basket from me and get a big kiss if you like."

"Gesh! I'm fine with the basket!" Monroe answered. "And I still have your keys but brought the rifle back to the trailer, together with the poison. I will come for a visit soon so … you are okay with me knowing about the trailer?"

Nick thought about that for a moment.

True, Aunt Marie had warned him not letting any Wesen know about the trailer. But Monroe wasn't any Wesen. Monroe was …

"You are welcome to the trailer everytime you want", Nick said. "Every help with this is welcome."

"I really hope you KNOW what you have there. I mean, that trailer is incredible! It's … it's like the Smithonian of Grimmology!"

"Well, I think we should wait in getting you a key for it yourself a bit, don't you think?" Nick teased. And it felt good, so damned good to talk to Monroe. Much better, much freely then everything he could talk about with Hank.

"You are really okay?" Monroe sounded a little worried and Nick realized that he was listening to the teasing and complaining with a big smile on his face.

"I owe you my life", he said. "Monroe, I … I mean this ..." There wasn't the right words for what he felt. He couldn't name it.

"It's family, Nick", Monroe's voice was warm and soft. "It's okay, man, it's okay."

"You are a great friend", Nick said slowly, thinking about the words before he pronounced them.

"And I think you are a good friend too. A little selfish from time to time, and we really have to work on your schedules and some of your behaviours but … you're a good friend, dude. I'm not saying this easily."

"I know."

It was like he could see Monroe smiling if he would close his eyes now.

"Good night, Nick."

"Good night, Monroe."

A tear ran out of Nick's eye but he smiled.

He was a Grimm – and he was friend with a Blutbad … a best friend.

_**The End**_


End file.
